Conventional real-time coincidencesystems use electronic circuitry to detect coincident pulses (hardware coincidence). In this work, a new concept of coincidencesystem based on real-time software (software coincidence) is presented. This system is based on the recurrent supervision of the analogue-to-digital converters status, which is described in detail. A prototype has been designed and built using a low-cost development platform. It has been applied to two different experimental sets for cosmic ray muon detection. Experimental muon measurements recorded simultaneously using conventional hardware coincidence and our software coincidencesystem have been compared, yielding identical results. These measurements have also been validated using simultaneous neutron monitor observations. This new software coincidencesystem provides remarkable advantages such as higher simplicity of interconnection and adjusting. Thus, our system replaces, at least, three Nuclear Instrument Modules (NIMs) required by conventional coincidencesystems, reducing its cost by a factor of 40 and eliminating pulse delay adjustments.

The performance of a new gamma-gamma coincidence spectrometer system for environmental samples analysis at the Center for Nuclear Technologies of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is reported. Nutech Coincidence Low Energy Germanium Sandwich (NUCLeGeS) system consists of two HPGe detector...

In this paper, we demonstrate a coincidence counting system with 48 input channels which is aimed to count all coincidence events, up to 531 441 kinds, in a multiphoton experiment. Using the dynamic delay adjusting inside the Field Programmable Gate Array, the alignment of photon signals of 48 channels is achieved. After the alignment, clock phase shifting is used to sample signal pulses. Logic constraints are used to stabilize the pulse width. The coincidence counting data stored in a 1G bit external random access memory will be sent to the computer to analyze the amount of 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-fold coincidence events. This system is designed for multiphoton entanglement experiments with multiple degrees of freedom of photons.

A field programmable gate array (FPGA) based digital coincidencesystem has been developed to use with NaI scintillators for field applications. The analog output signal from the photomultiplier anode is directly transferred into digital signals by pulse height for pulse width conversion. The digital signal contains the energy and timing information of the radiation events. The pulse width is then measured by a vernier type of time-to-digital converter (TDC). The timing information of radiation events is recorded and analyzed by a coincidence unit. Both the TDC unit and the coincidence unit are implemented using a commercial available FPGA board. The measured data is then sent to a personal computer for spectrum display. Efficiency as well as energy calibration has been performed. The system showed a timing resolution about 13 ns and an energy resolution of 12% for 0.511 MeV annihilation gammas; it also successfully demonstrated the background rejection ability through coincidence measurement.

A Data Acquisition System (DAQ) for electron energy loss coincident spectrometers (EELCS) has been developed. The system is composed of a Multiplex Time-Digital Converter (TDC) that measures the flying time of positive and negative ions and a one-dimension positionsensitive detector that records the energy loss of scattering electrons. The experimental data are buffered in a first-in-first-out(FIFO) memory module, then transferred from the FIFO memory to PC by the USB interface. The DAQ system can record the flying time of several ions in one collision, and allows of different data collection modes. The system has been demonstrated at the Electron Energy Loss Coincident Spectrometers at the Laboratory of Atomic and Molecular Physics, USTC. A detail description of the whole system is given and experimental results shown.

Psoriasis vulgaris is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory skin disease, but its association with other typical autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus has only occasionally been reported. We presented a 25-year-old female who developed systemic lupus erythematosus associated with psoriasis vulgaris. Her conditions were in good control after she got administration of prednisolone (5 mg/day) and Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook (20 mg/day). It is necessary to integrate past history and physical examination to diagnose coincident SLE and psoriasis, and combined treatment with prednisolone and Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook proves effective.

An improved shift-register, coincidence-counting logic circuit, developed for use with thermal neutron well counters, is described in detail. A distinguishing feature of the circuit is its ability to operate usefully at neutron counting rates of several hundred kHz. A portable electronics package incorporating the new coincidence logic and support circuits is also described.

The imaging quality using two-detector arbitrary N th-order intensity correlation in optics is investigated.It is theoretically demonstrated that with the order of intensity correlation N increases,the visibility of the retrieved image enhances promptly;and different n-fold intensity on one arm of the intensity correlation leads to different visibility,whereas the resolution is independent of N and n.The numerical simulation results are shown to be consistent with our theoretical analysis results.Furthermore,a particular imaging system of the two-detector N thorder Hanbury-Brown-Twiss (HBT) type ghost diffraction is conceived by using a slit as the object,the image quality by this type of ghost diffraction is investigated.The experimental results coincide with our theoretical analysis.%The imaging quality using two-detector arbitrary Nth-order intensity correlation in optics is investigated. It is theoretically demonstrated that with the order of intensity correlation N increases, the visibility of the retrieved image enhances promptly; and different n-fold intensity on one arm of the intensity correlation leads to different visibility, whereas the resolution is independent of N and n. The numerical simulation results are shown to be consistent with our theoretical analysis results. Furthermore, a particular imaging system of the two-detector Nth-order Hanbury-Brown-Twiss (HBT) type ghost diffraction is conceived by using a slit as the object, the image quah'ty by this type of ghost diffraction is investigated. The experimental results coincide with our theoretical analysis.

Few cases have been published relating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV). We describe a patient with this association. A 35-year old woman who started to develop persistent pain and morning stiffness of proximal inter and metacarpo-phalangeal joints. During the following year, the patient recalled the onset of blisters on both legs, face, arms and thorax, as well as erosions appearing on oral mucous membranes. We observed generalized multiple erosions on her trunk and legs, flaccid bullae located on her right thigh and multiple erosions on oral mucous membranes. A skin biopsy reported PV Direct immunofluorescence on the perilesional skin specimen, showed beehive intercellular IgG deposits in the epidermis (+++), suggesting PV; granular discontinuous IgM and C3 deposits in the dermal-epidermal union (+++), suggesting SLE. Direct immunofluorescence of the healthy unexposed skin specimen, reported granular discontinuous IgG deposits in the dermal-epidermal union and beehive intercellular IgG deposits in the lower levels of the epidermis (+++); granular continuous IgM deposits in the dermal-epidermal union (+++). The results of rheumatic studies were obtained as follows: ANA :3 +, Anti-DNA, Anti-Sm, Anti-Ro and Anti-La :4 + . The definite diagnosis was PVand SLE. Treatment with 50 mg of prednisone daily with good evolution.

By applying coincidence theorems in part ( Ⅰ ) for two families of setvalued mappings defined on product space of noncompact FC-spaces in preceding paper, some new existence theorems for system of vector equilibrium problems, system ofinequalities and system of minimax theorems were established in FC-spaces. These results generalize some known results in recent literature.

A new version of the Iranian Noble Gas Analyzing System (INGAS) has been improved to facilitate measurement of beta-gamma coincidence events. It employs a new prototype list-mode multi-parameter data analyzer system, MPA4300. In order to test the new version performance, it has used to obtain energy spectra from radioxenon isotopes using the detector assembly of the Iranian Noble Gas Analyzing System. The MPA4300 is able to set the coinciding parameters, extract the corresponding spectrum, and through the use of event by event list file, can replay the measurement in offline mode. A great novelty of this work is the use of internal timing circuit in MPA4300 instead of using standard pick up time modules to identify coincidence events of detectors. A detailed description of the measuring 222Rn and 131mXe is presented.

The procedure followed by the Nuclear Metrology Laboratory, at IPEN, for the primary standardization of (99m)Tc is described. The primary standardization has been accomplished by the coincidence method. The beta channel efficiency was varied by electronic discrimination using a software coincidence counting system. Two windows were selected for the gamma channel: one at 140 keV gamma-ray and the other at 20 keV X-ray total absorption peaks. The experimental extrapolation curves were compared with Monte Carlo simulations by means of code ESQUEMA.

A standardization of (134)Cs and (131)I was carried out in order to demonstrate the performance and applicability of the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system for standardization of radionuclides with complex decay scheme. The coincidence analyzer, capable of analyzing coincidence between beta and two gamma windows simultaneously, was developed and used for the standardization. The use of this dual coincidence analyzer has reduced the total experimental time by half. The activity concentrations obtained using the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system, a 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system, and the CIEMAT/NIST method are in excellent agreement with each other within uncertainty limits and hence demonstrates its performance for standardization of radionuclides decaying with complex decay scheme. Hence use of this 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system can be an alternative method suitable to standardize radionuclides with complex decay scheme with acceptable precision.

A surgical guidance system offering different levels of imaging capability while maintaining the same hand-held convenient small size of light-weight intra-operative probes. The surgical guidance system includes a second detector, typically an imager, located behind the area of surgical interest to form a coincidence guidance system with the hand-held probe. This approach is focused on the detection of positron emitting biomarkers with gamma rays accompanying positron emissions from the radiolabeled nuclei.

A coincidencesystem using a plastic scintillator detector in 4pi geometry has been developed and applied for the standardization of radionuclides. The scintillator shape and dimensions have been optimized for maximum charge particle detection efficiency, while keeping background low and a nearly constant gamma-ray efficiency for different points from the radioactive source. The gamma-ray events were measured with a NaI(Tl) scintillation counter. The electronic system for processing pulses consisted of logic gates and delay modules feeding a time-to-amplitude converter with output to a multichannel analyzer. The alpha detection efficiency measured with 241Am was around 95% and the beta detection efficiency for 60Co was around 67%. Activity measurements of 241Am and 60Co were performed and the results showed good agreement when compared with a conventional coincidencesystem employing a 4pi proportional counter.

A coincidencesystem using a plastic scintillator detector in 4 pi geometry has been developed and applied for the standardization of radionuclides. The scintillator shape and dimensions have been optimized for maximum charge particle detection efficiency, while keeping background low and a nearly constant gamma-ray efficiency for different points from the radioactive source. The gamma-ray events were measured with a NaI(Tl) scintillation counter. The electronic system for processing pulses consisted of logic gates and delay modules feeding a time-to-amplitude converter with output to a multichannel analyzer. The alpha detection efficiency measured with sup 2 sup 4 sup 1 Am was around 95% and the beta detection efficiency for sup 6 sup 0 Co was around 67%. Activity measurements of sup 2 sup 4 sup 1 Am and sup 6 sup 0 Co were performed and the results showed good agreement when compared with a conventional coincidencesystem employing a 4 pi proportional counter.

Preliminary results obtained in experiments carried out with an x-ray spectrometer built at the Instituto de Fisica for Atomic Physics and environmental sciences studies are presented. The experiments are based on a coincidence method for signals produced by LEGe and Si(Li) detectors. The x-ray fluorescence yields ({omega}{sub Li}) and Coster-Kronig transition probabilities (f{sub ij}) for elements with 55 {<=} Z {<=} 60 are among the quantities of interest. The method is based on the simultaneous detection of K x-rays with the LEGe detector and the L x-rays with the Si(Li) detector. The primary radiation source is an x-ray tube with Rh anode. The system was tested with the coincidence of the L x-rays from Ce with its K line, demonstrating the feasibility of the experiments.

Improvements recently developed at the Nuclear Metrology Laboratory of IPEN-CNEN/SP in São Paulo were performed in order to increase the detector efficiency of a 4pibeta-gamma coincidence primary system using plastic scintillators in 4pi geometry. Measurements were undertaken and compared to the original system and Monte Carlo simulations of the extrapolation curves were calculated for this new system and compared to experimental results. For this purpose, the code Penelope was applied for calculating response functions for each detector and the code Esquema, developed at LMN, was used for simulating the decay scheme processes.

A {gamma}-{gamma} and {beta}-{gamma} coincidence measurement system was constructed for the precise determination of nuclear data, such as thermal neutron capture cross sections and {gamma}-ray emission probabilities. The validity of the system was tested by a {gamma}-{gamma} coincidence measurement with a {sup 60}Co standard source. (author)

Paper describes a system to control time stability of a two-detector plastic scintillation spectrometer of three-dimensional coincides. A two-reference control system incorporates a light guide base delay optical line, two light diodes and a two-channel generator of nanosecond pulses. A distinguishing feature of the design system is application of one delay line to form both advance and delay time signal as to the real coincidences in the studied radioactive source. The designed system of control enables to measure periods of half-decay of nuclei excited states within 40-100 ns range ensuring control of position of coincidence curve gravity centers within 4 ps limits

The characteristics and performance of a new detector system developed for the study of low energy heavy ion binary reactions using the kinematic coincidence technique are presented. The detector system has been developed to carry out experiments such as multi-nucleon transfer reactions using the General Purpose Scattering Chamber (GPSC) facility at IUAC [1,2]. The detector system consists of a pair of two-dimensional position sensitive multi wire proportional counter (MWPC) and a ΔE−E gas ionization chamber. Both MWPC have an active area of 5×5 cm{sup 2}, and provide position signals in horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) plane, and timing signal for time of flight measurements. The main design feature of MWPC is the reduced wire pitch of 0.025 in. (0.635 mm) in all electrodes, giving uniform field and faster charge collection, and usage of 10μm diameter in anode frame which gives higher gains. The position resolution of the detectors was determined to be 0.45 mm FWHM and time resolution was estimated to be 400 ps FWHM. The detector could handle heavy ion count rates exceeding 100 kHz without any break down. The timing and position signals of the detectors are used for kinematic coincidence measurements and subsequent extraction of their mass and angular distributions. The ionization chamber has a conventional transverse field geometry with segmented anode providing multiple ΔE signals for nuclear charge (Z) identification. This article describes systematic study of these detectors in terms of efficiency, count rate handling capability, time, position and energy resolution.

Effectively addressing wicked health problems, that is, those arising from complex multifactorial biological and socio-economic causes, requires transdisciplinary action. However, a significant body of research points toward substantial difficulties in cultivating transdisciplinary collaboration. Accordingly, this article presents the results of a study that adapts Systems Ethnography and Qualitative Modeling (SEQM) in response to wicked health problems. SEQM protocols were designed to catalyze transdisciplinary responses to national defense concerns. We adapted these protocols to address cancer-obesity comorbidity and risk coincidence. In so doing, we conducted participant-observations and interviews with a diverse range of health care providers, community health educators, and health advocacy professionals who target either cancer or obesity. We then convened a transdisciplinary conference designed to catalyze a coordinated response. The findings offer productive insights into effective ways of catalyzing transdisciplinarity in addressing wicked health problems action and demonstrate the promise of SEQM for continued use in health care contexts.

Van der Waals heterostructures have great potential in large-scale integration devices and exploration of new physics. Experimental investigations allow flexible combinations of two-dimensional crystals in device fabrications. Theory, however, has limitations of supercell sizes and commensurability, translated into computational effort. In this work, we demonstrate the application of the coincidence lattice method to simulate two \\hbox {hBN/MoSe}_2 heterobilayers taking interlayer twist effects into account. We predict that both systems are stable upon contact and interact via van der Waals dispersions. We found that electronic properties of \\hbox {MoSe}_2 are preserved for both simulated systems, but hBN suffers from the increase of interface interactions, as evidenced by band structures and density of states calculations. Finally, band discontinuities are obtained and charge transfer arguments explain small shifts in band offsets with respect to natural alignments. We conclude that hBN is a reasonable substrate for preserving useful properties of \\hbox {MoSe}_2 for application in electronic and optoelectronic devices, and that interlayer twist angles play a significant role in the physics of van der Waals heterostructures.

Full Text Available Helminth infections are known to modulate innate and adaptive immune responses in active and latent tuberculosis (TB. However, the role of helminth infections in modulating responses associated with inflammation and immune activation (reflecting disease activity and/or severity in TB is not known.We measured markers of inflammation and immune activation in active pulmonary TB individuals (ATB with co-incidental Strongyloides stercoralis (Ss infection. These included systemic levels of acute phase proteins, matrix metalloproteinases and their endogenous inhibitors and immune activation markers. As a control, we measured the systemic levels of the same molecules in TB-uninfected individuals (NTB with or without Ss infection.Our data confirm that ATB is associated with elevated levels of the various measured molecules when compared to those seen in NTB. Our data also reveal that co-incident Ss infection in ATB individuals is associated with significantly decreased circulating levels of acute phase proteins, matrix metalloproteinases, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases as well as the systemic immune activation markers, sCD14 and sCD163. These changes are specific to ATB since they are absent in NTB individuals with Ss infection.Our data therefore reveal a profound effect of Ss infection on the markers associated with TB disease activity and severity and indicate that co-incidental helminth infections might dampen the severity of TB disease.

To simplify the process for identifying 12 types of symmetric variables in the canonical OR-coincidence (COC) algebra system, we propose a new symmetry detection algorithm based on OR-NXOR expansion. By analyzing the relationships between the coefficient matrices of sub-functions and the order coefficient subset matrices based on OR-NXOR expansion around two arbitrary logical variables, the constraint conditions of the order coefficient subset matrices are revealed for 12 types of symmetric variables. Based on the proposed constraints, the algorithm is realized by judging the order characteristic square value matrices. The proposed method avoids the transformation process from OR-NXOR expansion to AND-OR-NOT expansion, or to AND-XOR expansion, and solves the problem of completeness in the dj-map method. The application results show that, compared with traditional methods, the new algorithm is an optimal detection method in terms of applicability of the number of logical variables, detection type, and complexity of the identification process. The algorithm has been implemented in C language and tested on MCNC91 benchmarks. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is convenient and efficient.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an inherited inflammatory disease characterized by recurrent febrile polyserositis. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in FMF is uncommon, but recently cases with multiple sclerosis (MS) and FMF have been reported. Here we assess patients with both FMF and MS, in order to clarify any relationship between FMF and MS, and to evaluate disease characteristics. Our MS database between 1986-2005 was screened retrospectively, and patients with both FMF and inflammatory/demyelinating CNS disease were evaluated among a total of 2800 patients including definite MS (n = 2268) and other demyelinating disorders. There were 12 patients with FMF, who developed a CNS disorder with multifocal white matter lesions. Median age at onset of FMF was 7 years, and median age at neurological onset was 26.8 years. Nine patients (including two siblings) had definite MS according to clinical and MRI findings, whereas 3 patients had atypical features suggesting other demyelinating disorders. Disease severity varied among the patients between very mild to a fatal course. All 8 patients evaluated for oligoclonal IgG bands in CSF were positive. The rate of FMF among our patients with definite MS is almost 4 times the expected prevalence in Turkey. Our series including a sibling pair concordant for FMF and MS may suggest that similar genetic susceptibility and environmental factors might be responsible, although coincidence still remains a possibility. A prospective study on a larger sample seems to be justified.

A high-resolution β-γ coincidence measurement system has been developed by combining a high-purity broad energy germanium and a silicon surface barrier detector. The system is intended for calibration of reference spikes and re-measurement of CTBT samples, by detection of coincident β-γ or conversion electron and X-ray radiation of the four radioxenon isotopes 131mXe, 133mXe, 133Xe and 135Xe. The use of a high-resolution, list-mode, multi-parameter data acquisition system allows off-line setup and optimization of the (anti)coincidence. A 166mHo β-γ source has been produced and validated for energy calibration and system check. The β-γ coincidence has been further enhanced by a cosmic muon veto based on six plastic scintillation detectors. The μ-γ anticoincidence has been implemented using a 50 ns resolution real-time clock for time spectroscopy. This method has been verified by running conventional TAC-ADC (combined time-amplitude and analog-digital converter) based time spectroscopy in parallel. The whole measurement system has been characterized, by measuring various radioxenon spikes and backgrounds with and without (anti)coincidence. Peak efficiencies and minimum detectable activities (MDA) for the main radioxenon isotopes have been determined. Application of μ-γ anticoincidence reduced the MDA by about a factor of two for all four radioxenon isotopes. Complementary adoption of β-γ coincidence further reduced the MDA for the metastable isotopes by more than an order of magnitude. The MDA for 135Xe reaches about 6 mBq after 1 day of measurement. For 131mXe, 133Xe and 133mXe a MDA of about 2 mBq is obtained after one week measurement.

The past two decades have seen much progress in coincidence timing resolution (CTR) for time-of-flight (TOF) capable positron emission tomography (PET) systems. With these advancements, clinical TOF-PET systems have achieved sub-400 ps FWHM (full-width-at-half-maximum) CTR, providing decreased patient radiation dose, shorter scan time, improved lesion detectability, increased accuracy and precision of lesion uptake measurements, and less sensitivity to errors in data correction techniques (normalization, scatter, and attenuation corrections). An important and long-standing milestone for the TOF-PET community is 100 ps FWHM CTR. At that level of timing performance, more than a factor of five improvement in image signal-to-noise ratio is possible compared to non-TOF-PET, with the potential for a transformational impact on quantitative PET imaging. With advancements in silicon photomultiplier technologies, novel scintillation materials and signal processing techniques, sub-100 ps CTR has been reported for relatively short scintillation crystal elements (3 mm length). However, clinical PET requires scintillation crystal elements that are 20 mm length or greater to provide adequate stopping power for 511 keV photons. This increased crystal length reduces the light collection efficiency and increases the scintillation photon transit time variance, resulting in degraded CTR. Significant strides have been made in achieving sub-150 ps FWHM CTR with 20 mm length crystals in single pixel, bench top experiments. We will present perspectives on the entire detection chain, from luminescence to signal processing and time-pickoff to enable 100 ps CTR at the level of full clinically-relevant detector modules.

Some new continuous selection theorems are first proved in noncompact topological spaces.As applications, some new collectively fixed point theorems and coincidence theorems for two families of set-valued mappings defined on product space of noncompact topological spaces are obtained under very weak assumptions. These results generalize many known results in recent literature.

A new notion of finite continuous topological space (in short, FC-space)with out convexity structure was introduced. A new continuous selection theorem was established in FC-spaces. By applying the continuous selection theorem, some new coincidence theorems for two families of set-valued mappings defined on product space of noncompact FC-spaces are proved under much weak assumptions. These results generalize many known results in recent literature. Some applications will be given in a follow-up paper.

A single-vial, single-PMT 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system has been developed at the Radiation Safety Systems Division, BARC. It has advantages of simple sample preparation, higher counting efficiency and the absence of self absorption over the conventional proportional counter based 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system. The performance of the system is demonstrated by standardizing a (60)Co solution using the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system, 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system and CIEMAT/NIST method and comparing the results obtained by each method. The detection efficiency of liquid scintillation counter of the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system was varied by color quenching, by chemical quenching and by varying the bias voltage applied to the LSC PMT. For the proportional counter based 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system the detection efficiency was varied by source self absorption. The activity concentrations obtained using the 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system, the 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system and the CIEMAT/NIST method are comparable within the uncertainty limits.

Passive neutron coincidence/multiplicity counters are subject to non-ideal behavior, such as double pulsing and dead time. It has been shown in the past that double-pulsing exhibits a distinct signature in a Rossi-alpha distribution, which is not readily noticed using traditional Multiplicity Shift Register analysis. However, it has been assumed that the use of a pre-delay in shift register analysis removes any effects of double pulsing. In this work, we use high-fidelity simulations accompanied by experimental measurements to study the effects of double pulsing on multiplicity rates. By exploiting the information from the double pulsing signature peak observable in the Rossi-alpha distribution, the double pulsing fraction can be determined. Algebraic correction factors for the multiplicity rates in terms of the double pulsing fraction have been developed. We discuss the role of these corrections across a range of scenarios.

A dedicated 4{\\pi}{\\beta} (LS)-{\\gamma} (HPGe)digital coincidencesystem has been developed in this work, which includes five acquisition channels. Three analog-to-digital converter (ADC) acquisition channels with an acquisition resolution of 8 bits and acquisition rate of 1GSPS (sample per second) are utilized to collect the signals from three Photo multiplier tubes (PMTs) which are adopted to detect {\\beta} decay, and two acquisition channels with an acquisition resolution of 16 bits and acquisition rate of 50MSPS are utilized to collect the signals from high-purity germanium (HPGe) which are adopted to detect {\\gamma} decay. In order to increase the accuracy of the coincidencesystem, all the five acquisition channels are synchronous within 500ps. The data collected by the five acquisition channels will be transmitted to the host PC through PCI bus and saved as a file. Off-line software is applied for the 4{\\pi}{\\beta} (LS)-{\\gamma} (HPGe) coincidence and data analysis as needed in practical application. W...

Yamamoto, Seiichi, E-mail: s-yama@met.nagoya-u.ac.jp [Department of Radiological and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan); Watabe, Hiroshi; Kanai, Yasukazu [Department of Molecular Imaging in Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka (Japan); Kato, Katsuhiko [Department of Radiological and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan); Hatazawa, Jun [Department of Molecular Imaging in Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka (Japan); Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka (Japan)

2013-03-01

A silicon photomultiplier (Si-PM) is a promising photodetector for high resolution PET systems due to its small channel size and high gain. Using Si-PMs, it will be possible to develop a high resolution imaging systems. For this purpose, we developed a small field-of-view (FOV) ultrahigh-resolution Si-PM-based dual-head coincidence imaging system for small animals and plant research. A new scintillator, Ce doped Gd{sub 3}Al{sub 12}Ga{sub 3}O{sub 12} (GAGG), was selected because of its high light output and its emission wavelength matched with the Si-PM arrays and contained no radioactivity. Each coincidence imaging block detector consists of 0.5×0.5×5 mm{sup 3} GAGG pixels combined with a 0.1-mm thick reflector to form a 20×17 matrix that was optically coupled to a Si-PM array (Hamamatsu MPPC S11064-050P) with a 1.5-mm thick light guide. The GAGG block size was 12.0×10.2 mm{sup 2}. Two GAGG block detectors were positioned face to face and set on a flexible arm based detector stand. All 0.5 mm GAGG pixels in the block detectors were clearly resolved in the 2-dimensional position histogram. The energy resolution was 14.4% FWHM for the Cs-137 gamma ray. The spatial resolution was 0.7 mm FWHM measured using a 0.25 mm diameter Na-22 point source. Small animal and plant images were successfully obtained. We conclude that our developed ultrahigh-resolution Si-PM-based dual-head coincidence imaging system is promising for small animal and plant imaging research.

A silicon photomultiplier (Si-PM) is a promising photodetector for high resolution PET systems due to its small channel size and high gain. Using Si-PMs, it will be possible to develop a high resolution imaging systems. For this purpose, we developed a small field-of-view (FOV) ultrahigh-resolution Si-PM-based dual-head coincidence imaging system for small animals and plant research. A new scintillator, Ce doped Gd3Al12Ga3O12 (GAGG), was selected because of its high light output and its emission wavelength matched with the Si-PM arrays and contained no radioactivity. Each coincidence imaging block detector consists of 0.5×0.5×5 mm3 GAGG pixels combined with a 0.1-mm thick reflector to form a 20×17 matrix that was optically coupled to a Si-PM array (Hamamatsu MPPC S11064-050P) with a 1.5-mm thick light guide. The GAGG block size was 12.0×10.2 mm2. Two GAGG block detectors were positioned face to face and set on a flexible arm based detector stand. All 0.5 mm GAGG pixels in the block detectors were clearly resolved in the 2-dimensional position histogram. The energy resolution was 14.4% FWHM for the Cs-137 gamma ray. The spatial resolution was 0.7 mm FWHM measured using a 0.25 mm diameter Na-22 point source. Small animal and plant images were successfully obtained. We conclude that our developed ultrahigh-resolution Si-PM-based dual-head coincidence imaging system is promising for small animal and plant imaging research.

A Monte Carlo simulation code known as ESQUEMA has been developed by the Nuclear Metrology Laboratory (Laboratório de Metrologia Nuclear-LMN) in the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares-IPEN) to be used as a benchmark for radionuclide standardization. The early version of this code simulated only β-γ and ec-γ emitters with reasonably high electron and X-ray energies. To extend the code to include other radionuclides and enable the code to be applied to software coincidence counting systems, several improvements have been made and are presented in this work.

Full Text Available Psoriasis is a systemic immune-inflammatory disease characterized by chronic or recurrent skin symptoms, psoriatic arthritis, enthesopathy, and uveitis. Psoriasis has recently been published to appear with various autoimmune disorders, but the coexistence has been systematically reviewed by only few studies until now. In the present study, charts and electronic database of 4344 patients with various systemic autoimmune disorders, under regular medical control at our department, were reviewed retrospectively searching for association with psoriasis. Hereby, we demonstrate 25 psoriatic patients coinciding with various systemic autoimmune diseases. The coexistence of psoriasis and autoimmune diseases resulted in the worsening of the clinical outcome of the autoimmune diseases as indicated by higher frequency and dosages of glucocorticoid use, need for biologicals, and other comorbidities. These results suggest common environmental and genetic background as well as therapeutic possibilities in the future.

textabstractBackground: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a range of microvascular complications including diabetic nephropathy (DN). Microvascular abnormalities in the kidneys are common histopathologic findings in DN, which represent one manifestation of ongoing systemic microvascular dama

Full Text Available Let $I$ be any index set. By using some existence theorems of maximal elements for a family of set-valued mappings involving a better admissible set-valued mapping under noncompact setting of $FC$-spaces, we first present some nonempty intersection theorems for a family $\\{G_{i}\\}_{i\\in I}$ in a product space of $FC$-spaces. Next we give a coincidence theorem and a Fan-Browder type fixed point theorem. Finally, as applications, some equilibrium existence theorems for a system of generalized vector equilibrium problems are proved in product $FC$-space, some existence theorems of solutions for a system of Ky Fan type minimax inequalities involving a family of $G_{\\cal B}$-majorized mappings defined on the product space of $FC$-space are also obtained. Our results improve and generalize some recent results.

The electronic part of a laser-beam measuring system for wind velocity is described. Pulses of light scattered from aerosols are treated, first in a pair of adaptive filters, then in a tracker that calculates the wind velocity on-line while applying some knowledge about the velocity to be expected...

The remote location and inaccessibility of many active volcanic systems around the world hinders detailed investigation of their eruptive dynamics. One methodology for monitoring such locations is through the utilisation of multiple satellite datasets to elucidate underlying eruption dynamics and aid volcanic hazard mitigation. Whilst satellite datasets are often analysed individually, here we exploit the multi-platform NASA A-Train satellite constellation, including the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on Aura and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Aqua. OMI measures volcanic emissions (e.g. sulphur dioxide, ash) whilst MODIS enables monitoring of thermal anomalies (e.g. lava flows, lava lakes, pyroclastic deposits), allowing analysis of a more diverse range of volcanic unrest than is possible using a single measurement technique alone, and permitting cross-correlation between datasets for specific locations to assess cyclic activity. A Multi-taper (MTM) Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis was implemented at an initial sample site (Soufriere Hills volcano [SHV], Montserrat) facilitating cycle identification and subsequent comparison with existing ground-based data. Corresponding cycles at intervals of 8, 12 and ~50 days were identified in both the satellite-based SO2 and thermal infrared signals and ground-based SO2 measurements (Nicholson et al. 2013), validating the methodology. Our analysis confirms the potential for identification of cyclical volcanic activity through synergistic analysis of satellite data, which would be of particular value at poorly monitored volcanic systems. Following our initial test at SHV, further sample sites have been selected in locations with varied eruption dynamics and monitoring capabilities including Ambrym (Vanuatu), Kilauea (Hawaii), Nyiragongo (DR Congo) and Etna (Italy) with the intention of identifying not only cyclic signals that can be attributed to volcanic systems but also those which are

This report describes the study performed to obtain a composite (sun uma) spectrum from a Low Energy Gamma Spectrometry System by coupling two planar Germanium detectors. This disposition allows to obtain a high counting efficiency for the total system. It shows the improvement achieved by the synthetic spectrum which is obtained by adding the two original spectra through the LULEPS code. This code corrects the differences (channel/energy) between both two spectra before performing the addition. (Author) 6 refs.

Single pixel imaging can be the preferred method over traditional 2D-array imaging in spectral ranges where conventional cameras are not available. However, when it comes to real-time video imaging, single pixel imaging cannot compete with the framerates of conventional cameras, especially when high-resolution images are desired. Here we evaluate the performance of an imaging approach using twodetectors simultaneously. First, we present theoretical results on how low SNR affects final image quality followed by experimentally determined results. Obtained video framerates were doubled compared to state of the art systems, resulting in a framerate from 22 Hz for a 32×32 resolution to 0.75 Hz for a 128×128 resolution image. Additionally, the twodetector imaging technique enables the acquisition of images with a resolution of 256×256 in less than 3 s.

Full Text Available Abstract Purpose To present a possible coincidence of cytomegalovirus retinitis and intraocular lymphoma in a patient with systemic non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Case presentation A 47-year-old woman presented with decreased visual acuity associated with white retinal lesions in both eyes. A history of pneumonia of unknown aetiology closely preceded the deterioration of vision. Five years previously the patient was diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was treated with a chemotherapy regimen comprised of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristin, and prednisone with later addition of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab. She experienced a relapse 19 months later with involvement of the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, and commenced treatment with rituximab and 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan. A second relapse occurred 22 months after radioimmunotherapy and was treated with a combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and mitoxantrone followed by rituximab. The patient experienced no further relapses until the current presentation (April, 2010. Pars plana vitrectomy with vitreous fluid analysis was performed in the right eye. PCR testing confirmed the presence of cytomegalovirus in the vitreous. Atypical lymphoid elements, highly suspicious of malignancy were also found on cytologic examination. Intravenous foscarnet was administered continually for three weeks, followed by oral valganciclovir given in a dose of 900 mg twice per day. In addition, the rituximab therapy continued at three monthly intervals. Nevertheless, cessation of foscarnet therapy was followed by a recurrence of retinitis on three separate occasions during a 3-month period instigating its reinduction to the treatment regime after each recurrence. Conclusions Cytomegalovirus retinitis is an opportunistic infection found in AIDS patients as well as in bone marrow and solid organ transplant recipients being treated with systemic immunosuppressive drugs. This case presents a less

Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) are (with X-ray emission spectroscopy, XES) powerful analytical tools for material science and gas phase studies. However, the interpretation of Auger spectra can be very difficult due to the number and complexity of the involved processes. A deeper analysis, that allows a better understanding of relaxation processes following inner shell ionization, is possible with coincidence Auger spectroscopy. This method gives a new insight into electron correlation and allows disentangling of complex Auger electron spectra. In this paper, we present some examples related to gas phase coincidence Auger electron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The detection in coincidence of an Auger electron with a threshold photoelectron presents two main advantages which are good energy resolution and high coincidence count rates. This technique has also provided new results on double Auger decay processes. A further qualitative breakthrough has been made with the development of a new experimental set-up based on a magnetic bottle time-of-flight electron spectrometer. This opens up the field of multi-electron coincidence spectroscopy and allows a most detailed analysis with characterization of all possible decay pathways following inner shell ionization.

We present a short overview of a new method for calculating fully differential cross sections that is able to describe any aspect of coincidence measurements involving heavy projectiles. The method is based upon impact parameter close coupling with pseudostates. Examples from antiproton impact ionization are shown.

The present work describes the methodology for predicting the behavior of extrapolation curves obtained in radionuclide standardization by 4pibeta-gamma coincidence measurements, applied to (22)Na, developed at the Laboratório de Metrologia Nuclear of IPEN-CNEN/SP (LMN-Nuclear Metrology Laboratory). The LMN system consists of a proportional counter (PC) in 4pi geometry coupled to a single or a pair of NaI(Tl) scintillation crystals. Two standardization techniques were used: the Sum-Peak and the Nuclear-Peak methods. The theoretical response functions of each detector have been calculated using the MCNPX Monte Carlo code. The code ESQUEMA, developed at LMN, has been used for calculating the extrapolation curve in the 4pibeta-gamma coincidence experiment. Modifications were performed in order to include response tables for positrons and coincidences with annihilation photons. From the calibration results it was possible to extract both the activity value and the positron emission probability per decay. The latter was compared with results from the literature. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A modified version of a Monte Carlo code called Esquema, developed at the Nuclear Metrology Laboratory in IPEN, São Paulo, Brazil, has been applied for simulating a 4 πβ(PS)-γ coincidencesystem designed for primary radionuclide standardisation. This system consists of a plastic scintillator in 4 π geometry, for alpha or electron detection, coupled to a NaI(Tl) counter for gamma-ray detection. The response curves for monoenergetic electrons and photons have been calculated previously by Penelope code and applied as input data to code Esquema. The latter code simulates all the disintegration processes, from the precursor nucleus to the ground state of the daughter radionuclide. As a result, the curve between the observed disintegration rate as a function of the beta efficiency parameter can be simulated. A least-squares fit between the experimental activity values and the Monte Carlo calculation provided the actual radioactive source activity, without need of conventional extrapolation procedures. Application of this methodology to 60Co and 133Ba radioactive sources is presented and showed results in good agreement with a conventional proportional counter 4 πβ(PC)-γ coincidencesystem.

In 4{pi} {beta}-{gamma} coincidence measurements, precision on the evaluation of coincidence counting losses is made difficult because of complex overlapping effects between the{beta}--and {gamma}-side dead times due to pre cursive counted events. In this context the SAMAR electronic system is aimed to give a precise way of automatic counting and reduce the need for calculated corrections. This report describes its configuration and basic features. The SAMAR has been conceived in such a manner that both beta and gamma chains are sharing a common and non extending dead-time which is simultaneously applied to both channels. The shared dead time is made to be the only one inserted throughout the chains. Overlapping effects vanish and the three counting channels have identical transmission ratios. A new dead-time circuit based on fast linear gates as blocking elements has been developed. Application of the two-oscillator Muller's method evidences a fully non-extending character. Automatism is implemented by using a live timer corrective channel controlling the counting scalers. (Author) 21 refs.

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory experiment was built to measure the total flux of 8B solar neutrinos via the neutral current disintegration deuterium nuclei. This process can be mimiced by daughter isotopes of 232Th and 238U which can photodisintegrate the deuterium nucleus. Measurement of the concentration of such radioisotopes in the heavy water was critical to the success of the experiment. A radium assay technique using Hydrous Titanium Oxide coated filters was developed for this purpose and it was used in conjunction with a delayed beta-alpha coincidence counting system. The design, calibration and operation of this counting system are described in this paper. The counting efficiency for 232Th (224Ra) and 238U (226Ra) were measured to be 50 ± 5% and 62 ± 7%

Digital Coincidence Counting (DCC) is a new technique in radiation metrology, based on the older method of analogue coincidence counting. It has been developed by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) of the United Kingdom, as a faster more reliable means of determining the activity of ionising radiation samples. The technique employs a dual channel analogue-to-digital converter acquisition system for collecting pulse information from a 4π beta detector and an NaI(Tl) gamma detector. The digitised pulse information is stored on a high-speed hard disk and timing information for both channels is also stored. The data may subsequently be recalled and analysed using software-based algorithms. In this letter we describe some recent results obtained with the new acquistion hardware being tested at ANSTO. The system is fully operational and is now in routine use. Results for 60Co and 22Na radiation activity calibrations are presented, initial results with 153Sm are also briefly mentioned.

The present work was intended to study a coincidencesystem 4{pi}(PS){beta}-{gamma} for absolute activity measurement using plastic scintillators in 4{pi} geometry. Along with experiments on the coincidencesystem, simulations were also performed applying the Monte Carlo Method, by means of codes PENELOPE and ESQUEMA. These simulations were performed in order to calculate the extrapolation curve of the coincidencesystem 4{pi}(PS){beta}-{gamma} and compare it to experimental data. A new geometry was proposed to the coincidencesystem adding up a second photomultiplier tube to the previous system for improving light collection from the plastic scintillator, as this system presented limitations in the minimum detected energy due to the presence of electronic noise and low gain. The results show that an improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio was obtained, as well as in the minimum detected energy. Moreover, there was an increase in the detection efficiency. With these modifications, it is now possible to calibrate radionuclides which emit low energy electrons or X-rays, increasing the number of radionuclides that can be standardized with this type of system.(author)

Full Text Available We study Nielsen coincidence theory for maps between manifolds of same dimension regardless of orientation. We use the definition of semi-index of a class, review the definition of defective classes, and study the occurrence of defective root classes. We prove a semi-index product formula for lifting maps and give conditions for the defective coincidence classes to be the only essential classes.

Looping images allows us to notice things that we have never noticed before. Looping a small but exquisite selection of the video tapes of Marcel Odenbach, Dieter Kiessling and Matthias Neuenhofer may allow the discovering of Histories, Coincidences, and Infinitesimal Aesthetics inscribed...... into the Video medium as its unsurpassed topicality....

A simple coincidence circuit was devised to carry out educational coincidence experiments involving the use of Geiger counters. The system was tested by commercially available Geiger sensors from PASCO, and is intended to be used in collaboration with high school students and teachers

Purpose: Triple coincidences in positron emission tomography (PET) are events in which three γ-rays are detected simultaneously. These events, though potentially useful for enhancing the sensitivity of PET scanners, are discarded or processed without special consideration in current systems, because there is not a clear criterion for assigning them to a unique line-of-response (LOR). Methods proposed for recovering such events usually rely on the use of highly specialized detection systems, hampering general adoption, and/or are based on Compton-scatter kinematics and, consequently, are limited in accuracy by the energy resolution of standard PET detectors. In this work, the authors propose a simple and general solution for recovering triple coincidences, which does not require specialized detectors or additional energy resolution requirements. Methods: To recover triple coincidences, the authors’ method distributes such events among their possible LORs using the relative proportions of double coincidences in these LORs. The authors show analytically that this assignment scheme represents the maximum-likelihood solution for the triple-coincidence distribution problem. The PET component of a preclinical PET/CT scanner was adapted to enable the acquisition and processing of triple coincidences. Since the efficiencies for detecting double and triple events were found to be different throughout the scanner field-of-view, a normalization procedure specific for triple coincidences was also developed. The effect of including triple coincidences using their method was compared against the cases of equally weighting the triples among their possible LORs and discarding all the triple events. The authors used as figures of merit for this comparison sensitivity, noise-equivalent count (NEC) rates and image quality calculated as described in the NEMA NU-4 protocol for the assessment of preclinical PET scanners. Results: The addition of triple-coincidence events with the

We analyze the first and second moments of the coincidence-counting process for a system affected by paralyzable (extendable) deadtime with (possibly unequal) deadtimes in each singles channel. We consider both 'accidental' and 'genuine' coincidences, and derive exact analytical expressions for the first and second moments of the number of recorded coincidence events under various scenarios. The results include an exact form for the coincidence rate under the combined effects of decay, background, and deadtime. The analysis confirms that coincidence counts are not exactly Poisson, but suggests that the Poisson statistical model that is used for positron emission tomography image reconstruction is a reasonable approximation since the mean and variance are nearly equal.

The normal prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis for either bulk or small beam samples inherently has a small signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio due primarily to the neutron source being present while the sample signal is being obtained. Coincidence counting offers the possibility of greatly reducing or eliminating the noise generated by the neutron source. The present report presents our results to date on implementing the coincidence counting PGNAA approach. We conclude that coincidence PGNAA yields: (1) a larger signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, (2) more information (and therefore better accuracy) from essentially the same experiment when sophisticated coincidence electronics are used that can yield singles and coincidences simultaneously, and (3) a reduced (one or two orders of magnitude) signal from essentially the same experiment. In future work we will concentrate on: (1) modifying the existing CEARPGS Monte Carlo code to incorporate coincidence counting, (2) obtaining coincidence schemes for 18 or 20 of the common elements in coal and cement, and (3) optimizing the design of a PGNAA coincidencesystem for the bulk analysis of coal.

A method including the coincidence time resolution improvement for a TOF/positron emission tomography system was suggested. The spectrometer for this aim was composed of two NaI(Tl) and two plastic scintillation detectors. Experimental results were supported by FLUKA Monte Carlo simulation program by constructing the detector setup in software medium. Present experimental results verified our previous results and conclusions obtained from the suggested method. It was concluded that better resolutions would help the improvement not only on the TOF gain but also on the spatial resolution, leading to better images and helping the Physician in his/her diagnosis and treatment.

The Department of Energy Office of Nonproliferation Policy (NA-241) is supporting the project 'Coincidence Counting With Boron-Based Alternative Neutron Detection Technology' at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for development of an alternative neutron coincidence counter. The goal of this project is ultimately to design, build and demonstrate a boron-lined proportional tube based alternative system in the configuration of a coincidence counter. This report, providing background information for this project, is the deliverable under Task 1 of the project.

Theoretical bounds are given for the number of one-coincidence sequences in syn-chronous FHMA systems,and for the number and period of one-coincidence sequences in asyn-chronous FHMA systems.Several practical constructions for families of one-coincidencesequences are surveyed,and a new model for families of one-coincidence sequences is presented.

A Parallel Plate Avalanche Counter (PPAC) based fission detector system, called the Coincident Fission Fragment Detector (CFFD), has been developed for the ReA3 re-accelerator facility of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). Binary reaction kinematics are reconstructed based on position and time-of-flight measurements of fission fragments. Large area PPACs provide 1 ns level time resolution and mm level position resolution. The detectors allow measurements of fission product angular and mass distributions of heavy-ion induced fusion reactions. The 30 cm by 40 cm active area of each PPAC provides large solid angle coverage well suited for measurements of low intensity rare-isotope beams (RIBs).

Evaluating relationship intervention programs traditionally involves the use of self-report surveys or observational studies to assess changes in behavior. Instead, to investigate intervention-related changes in behavior, our study evaluates spatial-frequency electroencephalography (EEG) patterns from the brains of couples participating in an Imago Relationship workshop and 12 weeks of group counseling sessions lasting approximately 90 days. This explorative study recorded 32-channel EEGs from nine committed distressed couples prior to, during and immediately following the Imago Relationship Therapy program. A repeated measures t-Test approach was applied to investigate if significant group level brain pattern changes could be identified in key resting state networks in the brains of the participants that could be correlated with changes in relationship outcome. The study results show that significant reductions in EEG power in the alpha2, beta3 and gamma bands were evident in the averaged brain activity in the pre-frontal, frontal and temporal-parietal cortices that are anatomically associated with the frontal executive, default mode and salience networks of the human brain. Our current understanding of system level neural connectivity and network dynamics strongly indicates that each of these systems is integrally required in learning and implementing a complex communication process taught in the Imago intervention. Thus, a high degree of hemispheric lateralization is consistent with our understanding of language function and mood regulation in the brain and is consistent with recent research into the use of resting frontal EEG asymmetry as an indicator of behavioral changes in distressed couples undergoing a program for relationship improvement. Although preliminary, these results further indicate that the EEG is an inexpensive and easily quantifiable measure, and possibly predictor, of behavioral changes in response to a cognitive behavioral intervention.

The present work describes a 4{pi}({alpha},{beta})-{gamma} coincidencesystem for absolute measurement of radionuclide activity using a plastic scintillator in 4{pi} geometry for charged particles detection and a Nal (Tl) crystal for gamma-ray detection. Several shapes and dimensions of the plastic scintillator have been tried in order to obtain the best system configuration. Radionuclides which decay by alpha emission, {beta}{sup -}, {beta}{sup +} and electron capture have been standardized. The results showed excellent agreement with other conventional primary system which makes use of a 4{pi} proportional counter for X-ray and charged particle detection. The system developed in the present work have some advantages when compared with the conventional systems, namely; it does not need metal coating on the films used as radioactive source holders. When compared to liquid scintillators, is showed the advantage of not needing to be kept in dark for more than 24 h to allow phosphorescence decay of ambient light. Therefore it can be set to count immediately after the sources are placed inside of it. (author)

It is proven that K-causality coincides with stable causality, and that in a K-causal spacetime the relation K^+ coincides with the Seifert's relation. As a consequence the causal relation "the spacetime is strongly causal and the closure of the causal relation is transitive" stays between stable causality and causal continuity.

People's reactions to coincidences are often cited as an illustration of the irrationality of human reasoning about chance. We argue that coincidences may be better understood in terms of rational statistical inference, based on their functional role in processes of causal discovery and theory revision. We present a formal definition of…

Often it is difficult to find a natural explanation as to why a surprising coincidence occurs. In attempting to find one, people may be inclined to accept paranormal explanations. The objective of this study was to investigate whether people with a lower threshold for being surprised by coincidences have a greater propensity to become believers compared to those with a higher threshold. Participants were exposed to artificial coincidences, which were formally defined as less or more probable, and were asked to provide remarkability ratings. Paranormal belief was measured by the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale. An analysis of the remarkability ratings revealed a significant interaction effect between Sheep-Goat score and type of coincidence, suggesting that people with lower thresholds of surprise, when experiencing coincidences, harbor higher paranormal belief than those with a higher threshold. The theoretical aspects of these findings were discussed.

We construct link invariants using the D_2n subfactor planar algebras, and use these to prove new identities relating certain specializations of colored Jones polynomials to specializations of other quantum knot polynomials. These identities can also be explained by coincidences between small modular categories involving the even parts of the D_2n planar algebras. We discuss the origins of these coincidences, explaining the role of SO level-rank duality, Kirby-Melvin symmetry, and properties of small Dynkin diagrams. One of these coincidences involves G_2 and does not appear to be related to level-rank duality.

Coincidence technique and the coincidence measurement systems have been developed and applied for over 40 years. Most of popular coincidence measurement systems were based on analog electronics techniques such as time to amplitude conversion (TAC) or logic selecting coincidence unit. The above-mentioned systems are relatively cumbersome and complicated to use. With the strong growth of digital electronics techniques and computational science, the coincidence measurement systems will be constructed simpler but more efficient with the sake of application. This article presents the design principle and signal processing of a simple two-channel coincidencesystem by a new technique called Digital Signal Processing (DSP) using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) devices at Nuclear Research Institute (NRI), Dalat.

Many quantum information protocols require a Bell-state measurement of entangled systems. Most optical Bell-state measurements utilize two-photon interference at a beam splitter. By creating polarization-entangled photons with spontaneous parametric down-conversion using a first-order Hermite-Gaussian pump beam, we invert the usual interference behavior and perform an incomplete Bell-state measurement in the coincidence basis. We discuss the possibility of a complete Bell-state measurement in the coincidence basis using hyperentangled states [Phys. Rev. A, \\textbf{58}, R2623 (1998)].

Let f, g: X → Y be two maps between closed manifolds with dim X ≥ dim Y = n ≥ 3.We study the primary obstruction on(f,g) to deforming f and g to be coincidence free on the n-th skeleton of X. We give examples for which obstructions to deforming f and g to be coincidence free are detected by on (f, g).

The spectral analysis of simultaneously observed photons in separate detectors may provide an invaluable tool for radioisotope identification applications. A general recursive method to determine the activity of an isotope from the observed coincidence signature rate is discussed. The method coherently accounts for effects of true coincidence summing within a single detector and detection efficiencies. A verification of the approach with computer simulations is also discussed.

The coincidence technique and the coincidence spectroscopy have been developed and applied for over 40 years. Most of popular coincidence measurement systems were based on analog electronics techniques such as time to amplitude conversion (TAC) or logic selecting coincidence unit. The above-mentioned systems are relatively cumbersome and complicated to use. With the strong growth of digital electronics techniques and computational science, the coincidence measurement systems will be constructed simpler but more efficient with the sake of application. This article presents the design principle and signal processing of a simple two-channel coincidencesystem by a technique of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) devices at Nuclear Research Institute (NRI), Dalat.

Although current PET scanners are designed and optimized to detect double coincidence events, there is a significant amount of triple coincidences in any PET acquisition. Triple coincidences may arise from causes such as: inter-detector scatter (IDS), random triple interactions (RT), or the detection of prompt gamma rays in coincidence with annihilation photons when non-pure positron-emitting radionuclides are used (β(+)γ events). Depending on the data acquisition settings of the PET scanner, these triple events are discarded or processed as a set of double coincidences if the energy of the three detected events is within the scanner's energy window. This latter option introduces noise in the data, as at most, only one of the possible lines-of-response defined by triple interactions corresponds to the line along which the decay occurred. Several novel works have pointed out the possibility of using triple events to increase the sensitivity of PET scanners or to expand PET imaging capabilities by allowing differentiation between radiotracers labeled with non-pure and pure positron-emitting radionuclides. In this work, we extended the Monte Carlo simulator PeneloPET to assess the proportion of triple coincidences in PET acquisitions and to evaluate their possible applications. We validated the results of the simulator against experimental data acquired with a modified version of a commercial preclinical PET/CT scanner, which was enabled to acquire and process triple-coincidence events. We used as figures of merit the energy spectra for double and triple coincidences and the triples-to-doubles ratio for different energy windows and radionuclides. After validation, the simulator was used to predict the relative quantity of triple-coincidence events in two clinical scanners assuming different acquisition settings. Good agreement between simulations and preclinical experiments was found, with differences below 10% for most of the observables considered. For clinical

The operation of a beta ray energy spectrometer based on a two-or three-element silicon detector telescope is described. The front detector (A) is a thin, totally depleted, silicon surface barrier detector either 40 {mu}m, 72 {mu}m or 98 {mu}m thick. The back detector (C) is a Li compensated silicon detector, 5000 {mu}m thick. An additional thin detector can be inserted between these twodetectors when additional photon rejection capability is required in intense photon fields. The capability of the spectrometer to reject photons is based on the fact that incident photons will have a small probability of simultaneously losing detectable energy in twodetectors and an even smaller probability of losing detectable energy in all three detectors. Electrons, however, above a low energy threshold, will always record simultaneous, events in all three detectors. The spectrometer is capable of measuring electron energies from a lower energy coincidence threshold of 70 keV with 60% efficiency increasing to 100% efficiency in the energy region between 150 keV and 2.5 MeV. (Author).

The main technique that has been used to estimate the rate of gravitational wave (gw) bursts is to search for coincidence among times of arrival of candidate events in different detectors. Coincidences are modeled as a (possibly non-stationary) random time series background with gw events embedded in it, at random times but constant average rate. It is critical to test whether the statistics of the coincidence counts is Poisson, because the counts in a single detector often are not. At some point a number of parameters are tuned to increase the chance of detection by reducing the expected background: source direction, epoch vetoes based on sensitivity, goodness-of-fit thresholds, etc. Therefore, the significance of the confidence intervals itself has to be renormalized. This review is an insight of the state-of-the-art methods employed in the recent search performed by the International Gravitational Event Collaboration for the worldwide network of resonant bar detectors.

Event-driven visual sensors have attracted interest from a number of different research communities. They provide visual information in quite a different way from conventional video systems consisting of sequences of still images rendered at a given "frame rate." Event-driven vision sensors take inspiration from biology. Each pixel sends out an event (spike) when it senses something meaningful is happening, without any notion of a frame. A special type of event-driven sensor is the so-called dynamic vision sensor (DVS) where each pixel computes relative changes of light or "temporal contrast." The sensor output consists of a continuous flow of pixel events that represent the moving objects in the scene. Pixel events become available with microsecond delays with respect to "reality." These events can be processed "as they flow" by a cascade of event (convolution) processors. As a result, input and output event flows are practically coincident in time, and objects can be recognized as soon as the sensor provides enough meaningful events. In this paper, we present a methodology for mapping from a properly trained neural network in a conventional frame-driven representation to an event-driven representation. The method is illustrated by studying event-driven convolutional neural networks (ConvNet) trained to recognize rotating human silhouettes or high speed poker card symbols. The event-driven ConvNet is fed with recordings obtained from a real DVS camera. The event-driven ConvNet is simulated with a dedicated event-driven simulator and consists of a number of event-driven processing modules, the characteristics of which are obtained from individually manufactured hardware modules.

Neutron coincidence counting is a widely adopted nondestructive assay (NDA) technique used in nuclear safeguards to measure the mass of nuclear material in samples. Nowadays, most neutron-counting systems are based on the original-shift-register technology, like the (ordinary or multiplicity) Shift-Register Analyser. The analogue signal from the He-3 tubes is processed by an amplifier/single channel analyser (SCA) producing a train of TTL pulses that are fed into an electronic unit that performs the time- correlation analysis. Following the suggestion of the main inspection authorities (IAEA, Euratom and the French Ministry of Industry), several research laboratories have started to study and develop prototypes of neutron-counting systems with PC-based processing. Collaboration in this field among JRC, IRSN and LANL has been established within the framework of the ESARDA-NDA working group. Joint testing campaigns have been performed in the JRC PERLA laboratory, using different equipment provided by the three partners. One area of development is the use of high-speed PCs and pulse acquisition electronics that provide a time stamp (LIST-Mode Acquisition) for every digital pulse. The time stamp data can be processed directly during acquisition or saved on a hard disk. The latter method has the advantage that measurement data can be analysed with different values for parameters like predelay and gate width, without repeating the acquisition. Other useful diagnostic information, such as die-away time and dead time, can also be extracted from this stored data. A second area is the development of 'virtual instruments.' These devices, in which the pulse-processing system can be embedded in the neutron counter itself and sends counting data to a PC, can give increased data-acquisition speeds. Either or both of these developments could give rise to the next generation of instrumentation for improved practical neutron-correlation measurements. The paper will

In a delayed coincidence experiment, for example, the recent reactor neutrino oscillation experiments, a precise analytic determination of the delayed coincidence signal efficiency and the accidental coincidence background rate is important for the high accuracy measurement of the oscillation parameters and to understand systematic uncertainties associated with fluctuations in muon rate and random background rate. In this work, a data model is proposed to describe the full time sequence of all possible events on the live time axis. The acceptance of delayed coincidence signals, the rate of accidental backgrounds and other coincidence possibilities are calculated by assuming that all of the `net muons' are uniformly distributed on the live time axis. The intrinsic relative uncertainties in the event rates are at the $10^{-5}$ level for all combinations. The model and predictions are verified with a high statistics Monte Carlo study with a set of realistic parameters.

The Voxel Imaging PET (VIP) project presents a new approach for the design of nuclear medicine imaging devices by using highly segmented pixel CdTe sensors. CdTe detectors can achieve an energy resolution of ≈ 1% FWHM at 511 keV and can be easily segmented into submillimeter sized voxels for optimal spatial resolution. These features help in rejecting a large part of the scattered events from the PET coincidence sample in order to obtain high quality images. Another contribution to the background are random events, i.e., hits caused by two independent gammas without a common origin. Given that 60% of 511 keV photons undergo Compton scattering in CdTe (i.e. 84% of all coincidence events have at least one Compton scattering gamma), we present a simulation study on the possibility to use the Compton scattering information of at least one of the coincident gammas within the detector to reject random coincidences. The idea uses the fact that if a gamma undergoes Compton scattering in the detector, it will cause two hits in the pixel detectors. The first hit corresponds to the Compton scattering process. The second hit shall correspond to the photoelectric absorption of the remaining energy of the gamma. With the energy deposition of the first hit, one can calculate the Compton scattering angle. By measuring the hit location of the coincident gamma, we can construct the geometric angle, under the assumption that both gammas come from the same origin. Using the difference between the Compton scattering angle and the geometric angle, random events can be rejected.

Full Text Available Radar coincidence imaging is a new method for high-resolution staring imaging. First, the mathematical model is constructed. Second, the theoretical error for radar coincidence imaging in the presence of noise is derived using the parametric imaging method. Third, the factors that affect the error are analyzed. Fourth, the sparse reconstruction algorithm is used to perform numerical simulations of radar coincidence imaging with different parameters. Finally, the effects of signal bandwidth, array configuration, size of the imaging unit, and target complexity on image error in the presence of noise are discussed. This study provides the theoretical framework for parameters selection and SNR requirements for radar coincidence imaging systems.

We demonstrate a single-detector velocity map imaging setup which is capable of rapidly switching between coincidence and non-coincidence measurements. By rapidly switching the extraction voltages on the electrostatic lenses, both electrons and ions can be collected in coincidence with a single detector. Using a fast camera as the 2D detector avoids the saturation problem associated with traditional delay line detectors and allows for easy transitions between coincidence and non-coincidence data collection modes. This is a major advantage in setting up a low-cost and versatile coincidence apparatus. We present both coincidence and non-coincidence measurements of strong field atomic and molecular ionization.

Embedded atom method (EAM) simulations of the structure of grain boundaries in hexagonal metal, are presented. The simulations use recently developed interatomic potentials for Ti and Co. Structures were calculated for various symmetrical tilt boundaries with the [1,100] tilt axis. The structures obtained for both metals are very similar. The energies for the Co boundaries are higher than those for Ti by a factor of 2. The structural unit model was applied to the computed grain-boundary structures in these hexagonal materials. As in cubic materials, the structural unit model can describe a series of symmetrical tilt coincident boundaries. In addition, when the coincidence ratio in the grain-boundary plane varies with the c/a ratio, a structural unit-type model can describe the variation of grain-boundary structure with c/a ratio. This model is adequate for describing series of symmetrical tilt boundaries with the grain-boundary plane oriented perpendicular to a fixed crystallographic direction and varying c/a ratios. For the structures of the so-called near coincident boundaries that appear in these materials, it was concluded that near coincident boundaries behave similarly to exact coincidence boundaries if there is a coincident periodic structure in the grain-boundary plane. This may occur even without a three-dimensional (3-D) coincident site lattice.

A new method to extract high resolution angular distributions from kinematical coincidence measurements in binary reactions is presented. Kinematics is used to extract the center of mass angular distribution from the measured energy spectrum of light particles. Results obtained in the case of {sup 10}Be+p→{sup 9}Be+d reaction measured with the CHIMERA detector are shown. An angular resolution of few degrees in the center of mass is obtained. The range of applicability of the method is discussed.

The digital coincidence counting system developed by NPL and ANSTO is briefly described along with its benefits in the data collection and processing for the 4pi beta-gamma coincidence counting technique of radionuclide standardization. One of these benefits is the automatic detection of and correction for out-of-channel coincidences in the Computer Discrimination method. Where the criteria for the use of the Cox-Isham/Smith correction formulae for dead times and resolving times are not met, a generalized approximation based on the work of Campion is suggested.

Advances in materials science have produced a wide array of new solid-state systems with tunable properties and previously unattainable combinations of phenomena that hold the promise of entirely new approaches to technological applications. Invariably, these new materials are increasingly complex and include a large number of constituents in a variety of chemical states. Entirely new theoretical and experimental approaches are needed to gain the insights necessary for intelligent engineering of these materials. In the past 20 years, a steadily increasing number of electron-electron coincidence experiments on atoms and molecules have demonstrated the capability of investigating complicated systems with sensitivity and specificity well beyond the limits imposed by conventional electron spectroscopies. Over the past decade or so, Auger-photoelectron coincidence spectroscopy (APECS) has emerged as a powerful technique for obtaining detailed information about complex materials systems. Moreover, the recent advent of angle-resolved (AR)-APECS has introduced a new level of discrimination in studying the distribution of electrons photoemitted from complex systems. In this review, we describe the basic ideas behind APECS and discuss a study of the SiO{sub 2} system as an example of the unique information this technique can provide. We then introduce the concept of AR-APECS, explain its novel state and angular momentum selectivity that can be used to disentangle information about complex systems that is hidden to conventional spectroscopies. Examples of AR-APECS measurements from Cu, Ge, and graphite that exemplify the capabilities of this technique are presented.

This report describes the operation of a beta-ray energy spectrometer based on a silicon detector telescope using two or three elements. The front detector is a planar, totally-depleted, silicon surface barrier detector that is 97 {mu}m thick, the back detector is a room-temperature, lithium compensated, silicon detector that is 5000 {mu}m thick, and the intermediate detector is similar to the front detector but 72 {mu}m thick and intended to be used only in intense photon fields. The three detectors are mounted in a light-tight aluminum housing. The capability of the spectrometer to reject photons is based upon the fact that the incident photon will have a small probability of simultaneously losing detectable energy in twodetectors, and an even smaller probability of losing detectable energy in all three detectors. Electrons will, however, almost always record measurable events in either the front two or all three detectors. A coincidence requirement between the detectors thus rejects photon induced events. With a 97 {mu}m thick detector the lower energy coincidence threshold is approximately 110 keV. With an ultra-thin 40 {mu}m thick front detector, and operated at 15 C, the spectrometer is capable of detecting even 60-70 keV electrons with a coincidence efficiency of 60%. The spectrometer has been used to measure beta radiation fields in CANDU reactor working environments, and the spectral information is intended to support dose algorithms for the LiF TLD chips used in the Ontario Hydro dosimetry program. (orig.).

The general purpose neutron-photon-electron Monte Carlo N-Particle code, MCNP sup T sup M , has been used to simulate the neutronic characteristics of the on-site laboratory passive neutron coincidence counter to be installed, under Euratom Safeguards Directorate supervision, at the Sellafield reprocessing plant in Cumbria, UK. This detector is part of a series of nondestructive assay instruments to be installed for the accurate determination of the plutonium content of nuclear materials. The present work focuses on one aspect of this task, namely, the accurate calculation of the coincidence gate utilisation factor. This parameter is an important term in the interpretative model used to analyse the passive neutron coincidence count data acquired using pulse train deconvolution electronics based on the shift register technique. It accounts for the limited proportion of neutrons detected within the time interval for which the electronics gate is open. The Monte Carlo code MCF, presented in this work, represents...

It is shown that the multi-channel time-scaling (MCTS) method is particularly suitable for the direct measurement of accidental coincidences even if the dead times of the two counting channels are of different length. We prepared five samples, with activities from 900 to 2100 s sup - sup 1. The dead time of the gamma channel was 12 mu s for all measurements, but for the beta channel it varied from 12 to 20 mu s. The true coincidence rates determined by the MCTS method are compared with those obtained by using conventional technique.

High-level neutron coincidence counter operational (field) calibration and usage is well known. This manual makes explicit basic (shop) check-out, calibration, and testing of new units and is a guide for repair of failed in-service units. Operational criteria for the major electronic functions are detailed, as are adjustments and calibration procedures, and recurrent mechanical/electromechanical problems are addressed. Some system tests are included for quality assurance. Data on nonstandard large-scale integrated (circuit) components and a schematic set are also included.

An activation technique using coincidences between characteristic X-rays and {gamma}-rays to obtain absolute cross-sections is described. This method is particularly useful in the case of nuclei that decay by electron capture. In addition to the reduction of possible contamination, an improved detection sensitivity is achieved as compared to inclusive measurements, thereby allowing the extraction of absolute fusion cross-sections in the nano-barn range. Results of this technique for {sup 6}Li+{sup 198}Pt system, at energies around the Coulomb barrier are described. Future applications with low intensity radioactive ion beams are also discussed.

The time-stamp structure of the digital data acquisition system of the Indian National Gamma Array (INGA) has been utilized to carry out prompt-delayed coincidence technique for the spectroscopic study of fission fragments. This technique was found to be useful to determine the states above the long-lived isomer (with half-life up to ∼5 s), present in the fission fragments. The angular correlation of -rays, emitted by the fission fragments, has also been used in the present INGA geometry to determine the spins of the de-exciting states.

A 21-year-old female with Fabry's disease (FD) presented acute psychotic symptoms such as delusions, auditory hallucinations and formal thought disorders. Since the age of 14, she had suffered from various psychiatric symptoms increasing in frequency and intensity. We considered the differential diagnoses of prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia and organic schizophrenia-like disorder. Routine examinations including cognitive testing, electroencephalography and structural magnetic resonance imaging revealed no pathological findings. Additional structural and functional imaging demonstrated a minor CNS involvement of FD, yet without functional limitations. In summary our examination results support the thesis that in the case of our patient a mere coincidence of FD and psychotic symptoms is more likely than a causal connection.

The fact that the energy densities of dark energy and matter are similar currently, known as the coincidence problem, is one of the main unsolved problems of cosmology. We present here a phenomenological model in which a spatial curvature of the universe can lead to a transition in the present epoch from a matter dominated universe to a scaling dark energy dominance in a very natural way. In particular, we show that if the exponential potential of the dark energy field depends linearly on the spatial curvature density of a closed universe, the observed values of some cosmological parameters can be obtained assuming acceptable values for the present spatial curvature of the universe, and without fine tuning in the only parameter of the model. We also comment on possible variations of this model.

Using the 100% duty cycle electron beam from the University of Illinois MUSL-2 accelerator, inelastic electron scattering form factors have been measured in coincidence with the fission decay of ('238)U. Data was taken at effective elastic momentum transfers of .36, .41 .45 and .59 fm(' -1) and electron-fission fragment angular correlations were measured perpendicular to and along the momentum transfer axis. The beam energies used were 67.11, 56.91 and 46.49 MeV, with the outgoing electron detected at 60(DEGREES) and 80(DEGREES), relative to the beam direction. The electron energy resolution was .1% and the form factors were measured for excitation energies from 2 to 12 MeV. Thin films of scintillator plastic (.5 mg/cm('2)) were used to detect the fission fragments from a 1 mg/cm('2) UF(,4) target evaporated onto a .240 mg/cm('2) aluminum backing. A prominent, anisotropic threshold peak is seen in the coincident form factors. An analysis of the q-dependence of the data and of the angular correlation indicates the observed strength is E2. Fission threshold for this E2 strength is about 5.7 MeV as compared with 6 MeV for E1 decays. The peak itself is due to the onset of neutron competition at 6.15 MeV. The threshold region, when analyzed using a Gaussian K-distribution to describe the statistical density of K -states near the fission barrier, exhibits a step-like change in the value of K(,0)('2) at .7 MeV above threshold. This indicates a possible energy gap in the E2 transition states. The decay is isotropic above 7.5 MeV excitation energy. From 7 to 11.7 MeV, the distribution of E2/EO strength is relatively flat with the total strength in this region exhausting approximately 10% of an energy weighted sum rule. A comparison with hadron scattering experiments suggests that some of the strength near 11.5 MeV is due to the fission decay of the giant monopole resonance with a fission probability similar to that of E2 transitions.

The model of Ninomiya and myself of complex action in a functional integral formulation interpreted by means of path integrals extending over all times, both past and future, is reviewed. A few numerical relations between coupling constants and masses are taken as supporting evidences. The new one such supporting ev- idence among the mentioned "coincidences" is that our model is able to explain (suggestively) that a) the Higgs field expectation value is very small ("scale problem") compared to say some fundamental scale that might be the Planck scale, b) This Higgs VEV scale need not be just zero, but rather is predicted to be so that the running top-quark Yukawa coupling just is about unity at this scale. In this way it is easily becoming an "exponentially" small scale. Instead of the top-Yukawa we should rather here say the highest flavour Yukawa coupling. These predictions are only achieved by allowing the principle of minimization of the imaginary part of the action SI(history) to to a certain extent adju...

The aim of this study was to compare the coincidence-anticipation timing accuracy of athletes of different racket sports with various stimulus velocity requirements. Ninety players (15 girls, 15 boys for each sport) from tennis (M age = 12.4 yr., SD = 1.4), badminton (M age = 12.5 yr., SD = 1.4), and table tennis (M age = 12.4 yr., SD = 1.2) participated in this study. Three different stimulus velocities, low, moderate, and high, were used to simulate the velocity requirements of these racket sports. Tennis players had higher accuracy when they performed under the low stimulus velocity compared to badminton and table tennis players. Badminton players performed better under the moderate speed comparing to tennis and table tennis players. Table tennis players had better performance than tennis and badminton players under the high stimulus velocity. Therefore, visual and motor systems of players from different racket sports may adapt to a stimulus velocity in coincidence-anticipation timing, which is specific to each type of racket sports.

A new system has been developed for the detection of low radioactivity levels of fission products and actinides using coincidence techniques. The device combines a phoswich detector for {alpha}/{beta}/{gamma}-ray recognition with a fast digital card for electronic pulse analysis. The phoswich can be used in a coincident mode by identifying the composed signal produced by the simultaneous detection of {alpha}/{beta} particles and X-rays/{gamma} particles. The technique of coincidences with phoswich detectors was proposed recently to verify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (NTBT) which established the necessity of monitoring low levels of gaseous fission products produced by underground nuclear explosions. With the device proposed here it is possible to identify the coincidence events and determine the energy and type of coincident particles. The sensitivity of the system has been improved by employing liquid scintillators and a high resolution low energy germanium detector. In this case it is possible to identify simultaneously by {alpha}/{gamma} coincidence transuranic nuclides present in environmental samples without necessity of performing radiochemical separation. The minimum detectable activity was estimated to be 0.01 Bq kg{sup -1} for 0.1 kg of soil and 1000 min counting.

This thesis concerns multi-ionization coincidence measurements of atoms and small molecules using a magnetic bottle time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer designed for multi-electron coincidence studies. Also, a time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been used together with the TOF electron spectrometer for electron-ion coincidence measurements. The multi-ionization processes have been studied by employing a pulsed discharge lamp in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region and synchrotron radiation i...

This paper presents some results about bounds for coincidence indices of Nielsen coincidence classes for maps between nonorientable surfaces. Denoting by Kn the nonorientable surface constructed by a connected sum of n torus with a Klein bottle,the author proves: (i) for pairs of maps between two Klein bottles or for pairs of maps from a Klein bottle to a surface Kn the coincidence class index is bounded. (ii) for pairs of maps from Kn to the Klein bottle the coincidence class index is unbounded.Other boundedness results are given for more technical conditions, including one for self maps.

With the experimental station STELLA (STELlar LAboratory) we will measure fusion cross sections of astrophysical relevance making use of the coincident detection of charged particles and gamma rays for background reduction. For the measurement of gamma rays from the de-excitation of fusion products a compact array of 36 UK FATIMA LaBr3 detectors is designed based on efficiency studies with Geant4. The photo peak efficiency in the region of interest compares to other gamma detection systems used in this field. The features of the internal decay of 138La is used in a background study to obtain an online calibration of the gamma detectors. Background data are fit to the Monte Carlo model of the self activity assuming crude exponential behavior of external background. Accuracy in the region of interest is of the order of some keV in this first study.

Aim of the performed experiments of this thesis was to attempt to detect Cooper pairs as carriers of the superconducting current directly by means of the photoelectric effect. The method of the coincident photoelectron spectroscopy aims thereby at the detection of two coherently emitted electrons by the interaction with a photon. Because electrostatic analyzers typically cover only a very small spatial angle, which goes along with very low coincidence rates, in connection with this thesis a time-of-flight projection system has been developed, which maps nearly the whole spatial angle on a position-resolving detector. The pulsed light source in form of special synchrotron radiation necessary for the measurement has been adjusted so weak, that only single photons could arrive at the sample. Spectroscoped were beside test measurements on silver layers both a lead monocrystal as representative of the classical BCS superconductors and monocrystalline Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} from the family of the high-temperature superconductors. With excitation energies up to 40 eV could be shown that sufficiently smooth and clean surfaces in the superconducting phase exhibit within the resolving power of about 0.5 eV no recognizable differences in comparison to the normally conducting phase. Beside these studies furthermore the simple photoemission at the different samples and especially in the case of the lead crystal is treated, because here no comparable results are known. Thereby the whole momentum space is discussed and the Fermi surface established as three-dimensional model, by means of which the measurement results are discussed. in the theoretical descriptions different models for the Cooper-pair production are presented, whereby to the momentum exchange with the crystal a special role is attributed, because this can only occur in direct excitations via discrete lattice vectors.

A new time- and position-sensitive particle detection system based on a fast frame CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductors) camera is developed for coincidence ion imaging. The system is composed of four major components: a conventional microchannel plate/phosphor screen ion imager, a fast frame CMOS camera, a single anode photomultiplier tube (PMT), and a high-speed digitizer. The system collects the positional information of ions from a fast frame camera through real-time centroiding while the arrival times are obtained from the timing signal of a PMT processed by a high-speed digitizer. Multi-hit capability is achieved by correlating the intensity of ion spots on each camera frame with the peak heights on the corresponding time-of-flight spectrum of a PMT. Efficient computer algorithms are developed to process camera frames and digitizer traces in real-time at 1 kHz laser repetition rate. We demonstrate the capability of this system by detecting a momentum-matched co-fragments pair (methyl and iodine cations) produced from strong field dissociative double ionization of methyl iodide.

Full Text Available Many sensory neurons encode temporal information by detecting coincident arrivals of synaptic inputs. In the mammalian auditory brainstem, binaural neurons of the medial superior olive (MSO are known to act as coincidence detectors, whereas in the lateral superior olive (LSO roles of coincidence detection have remained unclear. LSO neurons receive excitatory and inhibitory inputs driven by ipsilateral and contralateral acoustic stimuli, respectively, and vary their output spike rates according to interaural level differences. In addition, LSO neurons are also sensitive to binaural phase differences of low-frequency tones and envelopes of amplitude-modulated (AM sounds. Previous physiological recordings in vivo found considerable variations in monaural AM-tuning across neurons. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of the observed temporal tuning properties of LSO and their sources of variability, we used a simple coincidence counting model and examined how specific parameters of coincidence detection affect monaural and binaural AM coding. Spike rates and phase-locking of evoked excitatory and spontaneous inhibitory inputs had only minor effects on LSO output to monaural AM inputs. In contrast, the coincidence threshold of the model neuron affected both the overall spike rates and the half-peak positions of the AM-tuning curve, whereas the width of the coincidence window merely influenced the output spike rates. The duration of the refractory period affected only the low-frequency portion of the monaural AM-tuning curve. Unlike monaural AM coding, temporal factors, such as the coincidence window and the effective duration of inhibition, played a major role in determining the trough positions of simulated binaural phase-response curves. In addition, empirically-observed level-dependence of binaural phase-coding was reproduced in the framework of our minimalistic coincidence counting model. These modeling results suggest that coincidence

A new 4π(LS)-γ coincidencesystem (TDCRG) was built at the NCBJ RC POLATOM. The counter consists of a TDCR detector in the beta channel and scintillation detector with NaI(Tl) crystal in the gamma channel. The system is equipped with a digital board with FPGA, which records and analyses coincidences in the TDCR detector and coincidences between the beta and gamma channels. The characteristics of the system and a scheme of the FPGA implementation with behavioral simulation are given. The TDCRG counter was validated by activity measurements on (14)C and (60)Co solutions standardized in RC POLATOM using previously validated methods.

The present work described a new methodology for modelling the behaviour of the activity in a 4{pi}{beta}-{gamma} coincidencesystem. The detection efficiency for electrons in the proportional counter and gamma radiation in the NaI(Tl) detector was calculated using the Monte Carlo program MCNP4C. Another Monte Carlo code was developed which follows the path in the disintegration scheme from the initial state of the precursor radionuclide, until the ground state of the daughter nucleus. Every step of the disintegration scheme is sorted by random numbers taking into account the probabilities of all {beta}{sup -} branches, electronic capture branches, transitions probabilities and internal conversion coefficients. Once the final state was reached beta, electronic capture events and gamma transitions are accounted for the three spectra: beta, gamma and coincidence variation in the beta efficiency was performed simulating energy cut off or use of absorbers (Collodion). The selected radionuclides for simulation were: {sup 134}Cs, {sup 72}Ga which disintegrate by {beta}{sup -} transition, {sup 133}Ba which disintegrates by electronic capture and {sup 35}S which is a beta pure emitter. For the latter, the Efficiency Tracing technique was simulated. The extrapolation curves obtained by Monte Carlo were filled by the Least Square Method with the experimental points and the results were compared to the Linear Extrapolation method. (author)

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The Radionuclide Metrology Laboratory of the IRD-Brazil, implemented a primary standardization system which utilizes the anti-coincidence technique with live time keeping. For testing the performance of these system it was made the standardization of the {sup 57}Co, {sup 124}Sb and {sup 241}Am. Encourages results were obtained not only the standardization of {sup 241}Am but also of the {sup 124}Sb whose reference value obtained by the LNMRI was utilized for the key comparison organized by the IAEA and EURAMET. The standard uncertainties were of 0.28%, 0.22% and 0.13% for the {sup 57}Co, {sup 124}Sb and {sup 241}Am, respectively

Exact measurement of the second-order correlation function g^(2)(t) of a light source is essential when investigating the photon statistics and the light generation process of the source. For a stationary single-mode light source, Mandel Q factor is directly related to g^(2)(0). For a large mean photon number in the mode, the deviation of g^(2)(0) from unity is so small that even a tiny error in measuring g^(2)(0) would result in an inaccurate Mandel Q. In this work, we have found that detector dead time can induce a serious error in g^(2)(0) and thus in Mandel Q in those cases even in a two-detector configuration. Our finding contradicts the conventional understanding that detector dead time would not affect g^(2)(t) in two-detector configurations. Utilizing the cavity-QED microlaser, a well-established sub-Poissonian light source, we measured g^(2)(0) with two different types of photodetectors with different dead time. We also introduced prolonged dead time by intentionally deleting the photodetection event...

The multi-channel time-scaling (MCTS) technique has been applied for the measurement of accidental coincidences for the cases of higher activity samples in beta-gamma coincidence counting. Two beta samples of sup 1 sup 3 sup 4 Cs were prepared and the nominal activities observed in the beta counter were about 7000 and 11000 s sup - sup 1 , respectively. The obtained true coincidence rates are independent of resolving times and dead times. They are compared with those calculated from the mathematical model derived by Cox and Isham.

The global colour model in free space is extended to finite temperature to study the deconfinement and chiral phase transitions at high temperature T and zero chemical potential in the mean field approximation. Both possibilities of coincidence and non-coincidence of the two distinct phase transitions are found when the model parameters are varied in a certain range. The underlying mechanisms of the coincidence and noncoincidence are analysed and discussed. The validity of the T-dependent model propagator as the input is also discussed.

A striking coincidence of revolution periods of S-stars orbiting a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way and oscillation periods of such solar and terrestrial observables as the sunspot number, the geomagnetic field Y-component and the global temperature is established on basis of the corresponding experimental data. Rejecting randomness of this discovered coincidence, we put forward a hypothesis that modulation of dark matter flows in the Milky Way by the S-stars is responsible for such a frequency transfer from the Galactic Center to the Solar System.

A simple asynchronous mechanical light chopper, based on modification of a turbo-molecular pump, has been developed to extend the interval between light pulses in single bunch operation at the Photon Factory storage ring. A pulse repetition rate of 80 kHz was achieved using a cylinder rotating at 48000 rpm, with 100 slits of 80 {mu}m width. This allows absolute timing of particles up to 12.48 {mu}s instead of the single-bunch period of 624 ns. We have applied the chopper together with a light pulse monitor to measure multielectron coincidence spectra using a magnetic bottle time-of-flight electron spectrometer. With such a system, the electron energies are determined without any ambiguity, the folding of coincidence spectra disappears and the effect of false coincidences is drastically reduced.

We show that any two holomorhpic maps, not both of which are constant, from a generalized Hopf manifold to its base must have a coincidence. We prove a similar result for holomorphic maps from a generalized Calabi-Eckmann manifold.

Neurons in the medial superior olive (MSO) detect microsecond differences in the arrival time of sounds between the ears (interaural time differences or ITDs), a crucial binaural cue for sound localization. Synaptic inhibition has been implicated in tuning ITD sensitivity, but the cellular mechanisms underlying its influence on coincidence detection are debated. Here we determine the impact of inhibition on coincidence detection in adult Mongolian gerbil MSO brain slices by testing precise temporal integration of measured synaptic responses using conductance-clamp. We find that inhibition dynamically shifts the peak timing of excitation, depending on its relative arrival time, which in turn modulates the timing of best coincidence detection. Inhibitory control of coincidence detection timing is consistent with the diversity of ITD functions observed in vivo and is robust under physiologically relevant conditions. Our results provide strong evidence that temporal interactions between excitation and inhibition on microsecond timescales are critical for binaural processing.

Neutron coincidence counting applied for the passive assay of fissile material is generally realised with dedicated electronic circuits. This paper presents a software based neutron coincidence counting method with data acquisition via a commercial PC-based Time Interval Analyser (TIA). The TIA is used to measure and record all time intervals between successive pulses in the pulse train up to count-rates of 2 Mpulses/s. Software modules are then used to compute the coincidence count-rates and multiplicity related data. This computed neutron coincidence counting (CNCC) offers full access to all the time information contained in the pulse train. This paper will mainly concentrate on the application and advantages of CNCC for the non-destructive assay of waste. An advanced multiplicity selective Rossi-alpha method is presented and its implementation via CNCC demonstrated. 13 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Non-pure positron emitters, with their long half-lives, allow for the tracing of slow biochemical processes which cannot be adequately examined by the commonly used short-lived positron emitters. Most of these isotopes emit high-energy cascade gamma rays in addition to positron decay that can be detected and create a triple coincidence with annihilation photons. Triple coincidence is discarded in most scanners, however, the majority of the triple coincidence contains true photon pairs that can be recovered. In this study, we propose a strategy for recovering triple coincidence events to raise the sensitivity of PET imaging for non-pure positron emitters. To identify the true line of response (LOR) from a triple coincidence, a framework utilizing geometrical, energy and temporal information is proposed. The geometrical criterion is based on the assumption that the LOR with the largest radial offset among the three sub pairs of triple coincidences is least likely to be a true LOR. Then, a confidence time window is used to test the valid LOR among those within triple coincidence. Finally, a likelihood ratio discriminant rule based on the energy probability density distribution of cascade and annihilation gammas is established to identify the true LOR. An Inveon preclinical PET scanner was modeled with GATE (GEANT4 application for tomographic emission) Monte Carlo software. We evaluated the performance of the proposed method in terms of identification fraction, noise equivalent count rates (NECR), and image quality on various phantoms. With the inclusion of triple coincidence events using the proposed method, the NECR was found to increase from 11% to 26% and 19% to 29% for I-124 and Br-76, respectively, when 7.4-185 MBq of activity was used. Compared to the reconstructed images using double coincidence, this technique increased the SNR by 5.1-7.3% for I-124 and 9.3-10.3% for Br-76 within the activity range of 9.25-74 MBq, without compromising the spatial resolution or

The coincidence site lattices of the root lattice $A_4$ are considered, and the statistics of the corresponding coincidence rotations according to their indices is expressed in terms of a Dirichlet series generating function. This is possible via an embedding of $A_4$ into the icosian ring with its rich arithmetic structure, which recently (arXiv:math.MG/0702448) led to the classification of the similar sublattices of $A_4$.

Novel Positron Emission Tomography system, based on plastic scintillators, is developed by the J-PET collaboration. In order to optimize geometrical configuration of built device, advanced computer simulations are performed. Detailed study is presented of background given by accidental coincidences and multiple scattering of gamma quanta.

The coincidence resolving time (CRT) of scintillation detectors is the parameter determining noise reduction in time-of-flight PET. We derive an analytical CRT model based on the statistical distribution of photons for two different prototype scintillators. For the first one, characterized by single exponential decay, CRT is proportional to the decay time and inversely proportional to the number of photons, with a square root dependence on the trigger level. For the second scintillator prototype, characterized by exponential rise and decay, CRT is proportional to the square root of the product of rise time and decay time divided by the doubled number of photons, and it is nearly independent of the trigger level. This theory is verified by measurements of scintillation time constants, light yield and CRT on scintillator sticks. Trapping effects are taken into account by defining an effective decay time. We show that in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, CRT is as important as patient dose, imaging time or PET system sensitivity. The noise reduction effect of better timing resolution is verified and visualized by Monte Carlo simulation of a NEMA image quality phantom.

This work is intended to be a mathematical underpinning for the field of grain boundary engineering and its relatives. The interrelationships within the set of rotations producing coincident site lattices in cubic crystals are examined in detail. Besides combining previously established but widely scattered results into a unified context, the present work details newly developed representations of the group structure in terms of strings of generators (based on quaternionic number theory, and including uniqueness proofs and rules for algebraic manipulation) as well as an easily visualized topological network model. Important results that were previously obscure or not universally understood (e.g. the {Sigma} combination rule governing triple junctions) are clarified in these frameworks. The methods also facilitate several general observations, including the very different natures of twin-limited structures in two and three dimensions, the inadequacy of the {Sigma} combination rule to determine valid quadruple nodes, and a curious link between allowable grain boundary assignments and the four-color map theorem. This kind of understanding is essential to the generation of realistic statistical models of grain boundary networks (particularly in twin-dominated systems) and is especially applicable to the field of grain boundary engineering.

In molecular photofragmentation processes by soft X-rays, a number of ionic fragments can be produced, each having a different abundance and correlation with the emitted electron kinetic energy. For investigating these fragmentation processes, electron-ion and electron-ion-ion coincidence experiments, in which the kinetic energy of electrons are analyzed using an electrostatic analyzer while the mass of the ions is analyzed using a pulsed electric field, are very powerful. For such measurements, however, the contribution of random coincidences is substantial and affects the data in a non-trivial way. Simple intuitive subtraction methods cannot be applied. In the present paper, we describe these electron-ion and electron-ion-ion coincidence experiments together with a subtraction method for the contribution from random coincidences. We provide a comprehensive set of equations for the data treatment, including equations for the calculation of error-bars. We demonstrate the method by applying it to the fragmenta...

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The system of absolute standardization activity of radionuclide by anti-coincidence counting and live-time techniques was implemented at LNMRI in 2008 to reduce the impacts of some influence factors in the determination of the activity with coincidence counting technique used for decades in the lab, for example, the measurement time. With the anti-coincidencesystem, the variety of radionuclides that can be calibrated by LNMRI was increased, in relation to the type of decay. The objective of this work is the standardization of {sup 106}Ru by the method of counting anti-coincidence and estimate its measurement uncertainties. (author)

Full Text Available The electronic detection of the coincidence of two events is still a key ingredient for high-performance applications, such as Positron Emission Tomography and Quantum Optics. Such applications are demanding, since the precision of their calculations and thus their conclusions directly depend on the duration of the interval in which two events are considered coincidental. This paper proposes a new circuitry, called coincidence detector latch (CDL, which is derived from standard RS latches. The CDL has the following advantages: low complexity, fully synthesizable, and high scalability. Even in its simple implementation, it achieves a coincidence window width as short as 115 ps, which is more than 10 times better than that reported by recent research.

In this work, we apply the smooth deformation concept in order to obtain a modification of Friedmann equations. It is shown that the cosmic coincidence can be at least alleviated using the dynamical properties of the extrinsic curvature. We investigate the transition from nucleosynthesis to the coincidence era obtaining a very small variation of the ratio $r=\\frac{\\rho_{m}}{\\rho_{ext}}$, that compares the matter energy density to extrinsic energy density, compatible with the known behavior of the deceleration parameter. We also show that the calculated "equivalence" redshift matches the transition redshift from a deceleration to accelerated phase and the coincidence ceases to be. The dynamics on $r$ is also studied based on Hubble parameter observations as the latest Baryons Acoustic Oscillations/Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (BAO/CMBR) + SNIa.

The design, optimisation and construction of an anti-coincidence veto detector to complement the ZEPLIN-III direct dark matter search instrument is described. One tonne of plastic scintillator is arranged into 52 bars individually read out by photomultipliers and coupled to a gadolinium-loaded passive polypropylene shield. Particular attention has been paid to radiological content. The overall aim has been to achieve a veto detector of low threshold and high efficiency without the creation of additional background in ZEPLIN-III, all at a reasonable cost. Extensive experimental measurements of the components have been made, including radioactivity levels and performance characteristics. These have been used to inform a complete end-to-end Monte Carlo simulation that has then been used to calculate the expected performance of the new instrument, both operating alone and as an anti-coincidence detector for ZEPLIN-III. The veto device will be capable of rejecting over 65% of coincident nuclear recoil events from ...

A system to detect light from liquid argon scintillation has been implemented in a small, ICARUS-like, liquid argon time projection chamber. The system, which uses a VUV-sensitive photomultiplier to collect the light, has recorded many ionizing tracks from cosmic-rays in coincidence with scintillation signals. Our measurements demonstrate that scintillation light detection can provide an effective method for absolute time measurement of events and eventually a useful trigger signal. (19 refs).

An analysis is presented of the effect of noncoincident sampling on the measurement of atomic number density and temperature by multiwavelength emission absorption. The assumption is made that the two signals, emission and transmitted lamp, are time resolved but not coincident. The analysis demonstrates the validity of averages of such measurements despite fluctuations in temperature and optical depth. At potassium-seeded MHD conditions, the fluctuations introduce additional uncertainty into measurements of potassium atom number density and temperature but do not significantly bias the average results. Experimental measurements in the CFFF aerodynamic duct with coincident and noncoincident sampling support the analysis.

Current positron emission tomography (PET) systems use temporally localised coincidence events discriminated by energy and time-of-flight information. The two annihilation photons are in an entangled polarisation state and, in principle, additional information from the polarisation correlation of photon pairs could be used to improve the accuracy of coincidence classification. In a previous study, we demonstrated that in principle, the polarisation correlation information could be transferred to an angular correlation in the distribution of scattered photon pairs in a planar Compton camera system. In the present study, we model a source-phantom-detector system using Geant4 and we develop a coincidence classification scheme that exploits the angular correlation of scattered annihilation quanta to improve the accuracy of coincidence detection. We find a 22% image quality improvement in terms of the peak signal-to-noise ratio when scattered coincidence events are discriminated solely by their angular correlation, thus demonstrating the feasibility of this novel classification scheme. By integrating scatter events (both single-single and single-only) with unscattered coincidence events discriminated using conventional methods, our results suggest that Compton-PET may be a promising candidate for optimal emission tomographic imaging.

The vertical profiles of ozone are measured coincidently with non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) at the meteorological site located at the Abu Dhabi international airport (latitude 24.45N; longitude 54.22E) during the years 2012 - 2014. Some of the profiles show elevated surface ozone >95 ppbv during the winter months (December, January and February). The ground-level NMVOCs obtained from the gas chromatography-flame ionization detection/mass spectrometry system also show elevated values of acetylene, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, benzene, and toluene. NMVOCs and ozone abundances in other seasons are much lower than the values in winter season. NMVOCs are emitted from an extensive number of sources in urban environments including fuel production, distribution, and consumption, and serve as precursor of ozone. Transport sources contribute a substantial portion of the NMVOC burden to the urban atmosphere in developed regions. Abu Dhabi is located at the edge of the Arabian Gulf and is highly affected by emissions from petrochemical industries in the neighboring Gulf region. The preliminary results indicate that wintertime enhancement in ozone is associated with large values of NMVOCs at Abu Dhabi. The domestic production of surface ozone is estimated from the combination of oxygen recombination and NMVOCs and compared with the data. It is estimated that about 40-50% of ozone in Abu Dhabi is transported from the neighbouring petrochemical industries. We will present ozone sounding and NMVOCs data and our model estimates of surface ozone, including a discussion on the high levels of the tropospheric ozone responsible for contaminating the air quality in the UAE. This work is supported by National Research Foundation, UAE.

In this study, we present a comparison of coincident GRACE and ICESat data over Antarctica. The analysis focused on the secular changes over a 4-year period spanning from 2003 to 2007, using the recently reprocessed and publicly available data sets for both missions. The results show that the two in

A variant of the limb-nadir matching technique for deriving tropospheric NO2 columns is presented in which the stratospheric component of the NO2 slant column density (SCD) measured by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) is removed using non-coincident profiles from the

A {beta} - {gamma} coincidence method for absolute counting is given. The fundamental principles are revised and the experimental part is detailed. The results from {sup 1}98 Au irradiated in the JEN 1 Swimming pool reactor are given. The maximal accuracy is 1 per cent. (Author) 11 refs.

A variant of the limb-nadir matching technique for deriving tropospheric NO2 columns is presented in which the stratospheric component of the NO2 slant column density (SCD) measured by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) is removed using non-coincident profiles from the Op

The location problem with two new facilities in continuous space is considered, with distance measured by arbitrary norms. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a proposed solution to be optimal are given for several cases. These cases include situations where the cost function...... is nondifferentiable because facilities coincide...

In molecular photofragmentation processes by soft X-rays, a number of ionic fragments can be produced, each having a different abundance and correlation with the kinetic energy of the emitted electron. For investigating these fragmentation processes, electron-ion and electron-ion-ion coincidence experiments, in which the kinetic energy of electrons are analyzed using an electrostatic analyzer while the mass of the ions is analyzed using a pulsed electric field, are very powerful. For such measurements, however, the contribution of random coincidences is substantial and affects the data in a non-trivial way. Simple intuitive subtraction methods cannot be applied. In the present paper, we describe these electron-ion and electron-ion-ion coincidence experiments together with a subtraction method for the contribution from random coincidences. We provide a comprehensive set of equations for the data treatment, including equations for the calculation of error-bars. We demonstrate the method by applying it to the fragmentation of free CF{sub 3}SF{sub 5} molecules.

This manual describes the portable High-Level Neutron Coincidence Counter (HLNCC) developed at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) for the assay of plutonium, particularly by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The counter is designed for the measurement of the effective /sup 240/Pu mass in plutonium samples which may have a high plutonium content. The following topics are discussed: principle of operation, description of the system, operating procedures, and applications.

Pentalogy of Cantrell is an extremely rare and lethal syndrome. Ectopia cordis is frequently found in fetuses with POC but not required for incomplete forms. Likewise, meningomyelocele is a relatively uncommon neural tube defect affecting central nervous system and associated with neurological problems. Herein, we presented a woman with dizygotic twin pregnancy having coincidence of incomplete POC and MMC in each individual fetus, which has never been reported previously. PMID:26421202

Full Text Available Pentalogy of Cantrell is an extremely rare and lethal syndrome. Ectopia cordis is frequently found in fetuses with POC but not required for incomplete forms. Likewise, meningomyelocele is a relatively uncommon neural tube defect affecting central nervous system and associated with neurological problems. Herein, we presented a woman with dizygotic twin pregnancy having coincidence of incomplete POC and MMC in each individual fetus, which has never been reported previously.

The radionuclide 59Fe decays with a half-life of 44.494(12) days, by several beta minus emission to the ground state and to four excited states of {sup 59}Co, mainly to the 1099 keV and 1291 keV (Bé et al., 2004). The activity of {sup 59}Fe was measured by 4 πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting method with digital sampling technique. A gamma spectrometry analysis was also conducted to check the impurities of the source. As comparison, the activity were also measured by using the 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting system and 4πβ (LS)-γ anti-coincidence method. The radionuclide 59Fe has been standardized using the 4πβ(LS)-γcoincidence counting with digital sampling method. The result was in a good agreement with the result from 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence counting and the 4πβ(LS)-γ anti-coincidence method.

Full Text Available We have recently evaluated the quality of γ-ray angular distributions that can be extracted in particle-gamma coincidence measurements using the CHIMERA detector at LNS. γ-rays have been detected using the CsI(Tl detectors of the spherical part of the CHIMERA array. Very clean γ-rays angular distributions were extracted in reactions induced by different stable beams impinging on 12C thin targets. The results evidenced an effect of projectile spin flip on the γ-rays angular distributions. γ-particle coincidence measurements were also performed in reactions induced by neutron rich exotic beams produced through in-flight fragmentation at LNS. In recent experiments also the Farcos array was used to improve energy and angular resolution measurements of the detected charged particles. Results obtained with both stable and radioactive beams are reported.

Sources of gravitational waves (GW) and emitters of high energy neutrinos (HE {nu}) both involve compact objects and matter moving at relativistic speeds. GW emission requires a departure from spherical symmetry, which is the case if clumps of matter are accreted around black holes or neutron stars, and ejected in relativistic jets, where neutrinos are believed to be produced. Both messengers interact weakly with the surrounding matter, hence point directly to the heart of the engines that power these emissions. Coincidences between GW interferometers (e.g. VIRGO) and HE {nu} telescopes (e.g. ANTARES) would then give a unique insight on the physics of the most powerful objects in the Universe. The possibility, observability and detectability for such GW/HE {nu} coincidences are analysed.

Ferrari, Francesca, E-mail: fra.ferrari@gmail.co [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen (IPSC), 21020 Ispra (Italy); Peerani, Paolo, E-mail: paolo.peerani@jrc.i [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen (IPSC), 21020 Ispra (Italy)

2010-10-15

Neutron coincidence counting is the reference NDA technique used in nuclear safeguards to measure the mass of nuclear material in samples. For high-enriched uranium (HEU) samples active neutron interrogation is generally performed and the most common device used by nuclear inspectors is the Active Well Coincidence Counter (AWCC). Within her master thesis at the Polytechnic of Milan, the first author performed an intensive study on the characteristics and performances of the AWCC in order to assess the {sup 235}U mass in HEU oxide samples at the PERLA laboratory of JRC. The work has been summarised in this paper that starts with the optimisation of the use of AWCC for nuclear safeguards, describing the calibration procedure, reporting results of a series of verification measurements, summarising the performances that can be obtained with this instruments during inspections at fuel production plants and concluding with the discussion of uncertainties related to these measurements.

The time course of interaction between concurrently applied visual and somatosensory stimulation with respect to evoked potentials (EPs) was studied. Visual stimuli, either in the left or right hemifield, and electric stimuli to the left wrist were delivered either alone or simultaneously. Visual and somatosensory EPs were summed and compared to bimodal EPs (BiEP, response to actual combination of both modalities). Temporal coincidence of stimuli lead to sub-additive or over-additive amplitudes in BiEPs in several time windows between 75 and 275 ms. Additional effects of spatial coincidence (left wrist with left hemifield) were found between 75 and 300 ms and beyond 450 ms. These interaction effects hint at a temporo-spatial pattern of multiple brain areas participating in the process of multimodal integration.

He ions have been detected in coincidence with charged pions in the reaction {sup 16}O on {sup 27}Al at E{sub lab}=94 MeV/u. We analyse velocity spectra and cross-sections of He ions emitted in the angular range 4deg/150deg in coincidence with charged pions detected at 90deg. A two source emission mechanism of the helium particles and a pion statistical production from an equilibrated participant zone is stressed. The absolute yields at different angles are compared with results of a theoretical model for medium energy heavy ion reactions in the frame of a participant-spectator picture. A comparison of the pion energy spectra with Boltzmann-Nordheim-Vlasov calculations and a discussion on the time scale for pion emission is also presented. (orig.).

Here we present a case of a coincidence of addiction to "Kratom" (botanically known as Mitragyna speciosa Korth) and developed severe primary hypothyroidism. We are discussing a possibility that high dose of indole alkaloid mitragynine (the major alkaloid identified from "Kratom") might reduce the normal response of the thyroid gland to thyroid-stimulating hormone resulting in primary hypothyroidism. Further experimental investigations of mitragynine as a possible suppressor of thyroid gland function would be a matter of interest.

Although it is well known that a myocardial and a cerebral infarction may be coincident, the nature of this association is not clear. The problem is further complicated because the myocardial infarction may be silent. This is a report of 3 patients with cerebral infarct in whom a silent recent myocardial infarction was found. All patients with cerebrovascular disease should be screened for a possible myocardial lesion.

We search for ultra luminous X-ray source (ULXs) radio counterparts located in nearby galaxies in order to constrain their physical nature. Our work is based on a systematic cross-identification of the most recent and extensive available ULX catalogues and archival radio data. A catalogue of 70 positional coincidences is reported. Most of them are located within the galaxy nucleus. Among them, we find 11 new cases of non-nuclear ULX sources with possibly associated radio emission.

Brans–Dicke scalar–tensor theory provides a conformal coupling of the scalar ﬁeld with gravity in Einstein’s frame. This model is equivalent to an interacting quintessence in which dark matter is coupled to dark energy. This provides a natural mechanism to alleviate the coincidence problem. We investigate the dynamics of this model and show that it leads to comparable dark energy and dark matter densities today.

Full Text Available Coincidence and fixed point theorems for a new class of hybrid contractions consisting of a pair of single-valued and multivalued maps on an arbitrary nonempty set with values in a metric space are proved. In addition, the existence of a common solution for certain class of functional equations arising in dynamic programming, under much weaker conditions are discussed. The results obtained here in generalize many well known results.

Full Text Available A generalized Caristi type coincidence point theorem and its equivalences in the setting of topological spaces by using a kind of nonmetric type function are obtained. These results are used to establish variational principle and its equivalences in d-complete spaces, bornological vector space, seven kinds of completed quasi-semimetric spaces equipped with Q-functions, uniform spaces with q-distance, generating spaces of quasimetric family, and fuzzy metric spaces.

An important application of quantitative imaging in nuclear medicine is the estimation of absorbed doses in radionuclide therapy. Depending on the radionuclide used for therapy, quantitative imaging of the kinetics of the therapeutic radiopharmaceutical could be done using planar imaging, SPECT or PET. Since many nuclear medicine departments have a gamma camera system that is also suitable for coincidence imaging, the performance of these systems with respect to quantitative imaging of PET isotopes that could be of use in radionuclide dosimetry is of interest. We investigated the performance of a gamma camera with coincidence imaging capabilities with 99mTc, 111In, 18F and 76Br and a dedicated PET system with 18F and 76Br, using a single standard set of phantom measurements. Here, 76Br was taken as a typical example of prompt gamma-emitting PET isotopes that are applicable in radionuclide therapy dosimetry such as 86Y and 124I. Image quality measurements show comparable image contrasts for 76Br coincidence imaging and 111In SPECT. Although the spatial resolution of coincidence imaging is better than single photon imaging, the contrast obtained with 76Br is not better than that with 99mTc or 111In because of the prompt gamma involved. Additional improvements are necessary to allow for quantitative coincidence imaging of long-lived, prompt gamma producing positron emitters.

Tinnitus is often defined as the perception of sounds or noise in the absence of any external auditory stimuli. The pathophysiology of subjective idiopathic tinnitus remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional brain activities and possible involved cerebral areas in subjective idiopathic tinnitus patients by means of single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) coincidence imaging, which was fused with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this cross-sectional study, 56 patients (1 subject excluded) with subjective tinnitus and 8 healthy controls were enrolled. After intravenous injection of 5 mCi F18-FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), all subjects underwent a brain SPECT coincidence scan, which was then superimposed on their MRIs. In the eight regions of interest (middle temporal, inferotemporal, medial temporal, lateral temporal, temporoparietal, frontal, frontoparietal, and parietal areas), the more pronounced values were represented in medial temporal, inferotemporal, and temporoparietal areas, which showed more important proportion of associative auditory cortices in functional attributions of tinnitus than primary auditory cortex. Brain coincidence SPECT scan, when fused on MRI is a valuable technique in the assessment of patients with tinnitus and could show the significant role of different regions of central nervous system in functional attributions of tinnitus.

The association between inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer is well known. Ulcerative colitis is a risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer, and this risk increases with the activity and duration of bowel inflammation. Here we describe the case of a 52-year-old man who developed ulcerative colitis 6 years after the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer. Although this could be a coincidence, there could be additional possibilities, like pre-existence of quiescent colitis, late effect of therapy, or maybe the existence of common pathogenetic factors contributing to the development of ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer. PMID:24855393

The complete analysis of the model-independent leading radiative corrections to cross-section and polarization observables in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic electron-nucleus scattering with detection of a proton and scattered electron in coincidence has been performed. The basis of the calculations consists of the Drell-Yan like representation in electrodynamics for both spin-independent and spin-dependent parts of the cross-section in terms of the electron structure functions. The applications to the polarization transfer effect from longitudinally polarized electron beam to detected proton as well as to scattering by the polarized target are considered.

The authors present a reliable method to calibrate the full-energy efficiency and the coincidence correction factors using a commonly-available mixed source gamma standard. This is accomplished by measuring the peak areas from both summing and non-summing decay schemes and simultaneously fitting both the full-energy efficiency, as well as the total efficiency, as functions of energy. By using known decay schemes, these functions can then be used to provide correction factors for other nuclides not included in the calibration standard.

We propose and demonstrate a method for measuring the joint spectrum of photon pairs via Fourier spectroscopy. The biphoton spectral intensity is computed from a two-dimensional interferogram of coincidence counts. The method has been implemented for a type-I downconversion source using a pair of common-path Mach-Zender interferometers based on Soleil compensators. The experimental results agree well with calculated frequency correlations that take into account the effects of coupling into single-mode fibers. The Fourier method is advantageous over scanning spectrometry when detectors exhibit high dark count rates leading to dominant additive noise.

A novel system has been developed for the detection of low radioactivity levels using coincidence techniques. The device combines a phoswich detector for {alpha}/{beta}/{gamma} ray recognition with a fast digital card for electronic pulse analysis. The detector is able to discriminate different types of radiation in a mixed {alpha}/{beta}/{gamma} field and can be used in a coincidence mode by identifying the composite signal produced by the simultaneous detection of {beta} particles in a plastic scintillator and {gamma} rays in an NaI(Tl) scintillator. Use of a coincidence technique with phoswich detectors was proposed recently to verify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which made it necessary to monitor the low levels of xenon radioisotopes produced by underground nuclear explosions. Previous studies have shown that combining CaF{sub 2}(Eu) for {beta} ray detection and NaI(Tl) for {gamma} ray detection makes it difficult to identify the coincidence signals because of the similar fluorescence decay times of the two scintillators. With the device proposed here, it is possible to identify the coincidence events owing to the short fluorescence decay time of the plastic scintillator. The sensitivity of the detector may be improved by employing liquid scintillators, which allow low radioactivity levels from actinides to be measured when present in environmental samples. The device developed is simpler to use than conventional coincidence equipment because it uses a single detector and electronic circuit, and it offers fast and precise analysis of the coincidence signals by employing digital pulse shape analysis.

We have designed a Compton Camera (CC) to image the bio-distribution of gamma-emitting radiopharmaceuticals in mice. A CC employs the "electronic collimation", i.e. a technique that traces the gamma-rays instead of selecting them with physical lead or tungsten collimators. To perform such a task, a CC measures the parameters of the Compton interaction that occurs in the device itself. At least twodetectors are required: one (tracker), where the primary gamma undergoes a Compton interaction and a second one (calorimeter), in which the scattered gamma is completely absorbed. Eventually the polar angle and hence a "cone" of possible incident directions are obtained (event with "incomplete geometry"). Different solutions for the twodetectors are proposed in the literature: our design foresees two similar Position Sensitive Photomultipliers (PMT, Hamamatsu H8500). Each PMT has 64 output channels that are reduced to 4 using a charge multiplexed readout system, i.e. a Series Charge Multiplexing net of resistors. Triggering of the system is provided by the coincidence of fast signals extracted at the last dynode of the PMTs. Assets are the low cost and the simplicity of design and operation, having just one type of device; among drawbacks there is a lower resolution with respect to more sophisticated trackers and full 64 channels Readout. This paper does compare our design of our two-Hamamatsu CC to other solutions and shows how the spatial and energy accuracy is suitable for the inspection of radioactivity in mice.

Recently, Keane et al. reported the discovery of a fading radio transient following FRB 150418, and interpreted it as the afterglow of the FRB. Williams \\& Berger, on the other hand, suggested that the radio transient is analogous to a group of variable radio sources, so that it could be a coincident AGN flare in the observational beam of the FRB. A new observation with VLA showed a re-brightening, which is consistent with the AGN picture. Here, using the radio survey data of Ofek et al., we statistically examine the chance coincidence probability to produce an event like the FRB 150418 transient. We find that the probabilities to produce a variable radio transient with at least the same variability amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio as the FRB 150415 transient, without and with the VLA point, are $P_1 \\sim 6 \\times 10^{-4}$ and $P_1 \\sim 2 \\times 10^{-3}$, respectively. In addition, the chance probability to have a fading transient detected following a random time (FRB time) is less than $P_2 \\sim 10^{-...

The effects of applying clinical versus neuropathological diagnosis and the inclusion of cases with coincident neuropathological diagnoses have not been assessed specifically when studying cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker classification cutoffs for patients with neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia. Thus, 142 neuropathologically diagnosed neurodegenerative dementia patients [71 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 29 frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), 3 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 7 dementia with Lewy bodies, 32 of which cases also had coincident diagnoses] were studied. 96 % had enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) CSF data and 77 % had Luminex CSF data, with 43 and 46 controls for comparison, respectively. Aβ(42), total, and phosphorylated tau(181) were measured. Clinical and neuropathological diagnoses showed an 81.4 % overall agreement. Both assays showed high sensitivity and specificity to classify AD subjects against FTLD subjects and controls, and moderate sensitivity and specificity for classifying FTLD subjects against controls. However, among the cases with neuropathological diagnoses of AD plus another pathology (26.8 % of the sample), 69.4 % (ELISA) and 96.4 % (Luminex) were classified as AD according to their biomarker profiles. Use of clinical diagnosis instead of neuropathological diagnosis led to a 14-17 % underestimation of the biomarker accuracy. These results show that while CSF Aβ and tau assays are useful for diagnosis of AD and neurodegenerative diseases even at MCI stages, CSF diagnostic analyte panels that establish a positive diagnosis of Lewy body disease and FTLD are also needed, and must be established based on neuropathological rather than clinical diagnoses.

Uranium is present in most nuclear fuel cycle facilities ranging from uranium mines, enrichment plants, fuel fabrication facilities, nuclear reactors, and reprocessing plants. The isotopic, chemical, and geometric composition of uranium can vary significantly between these facilities, depending on the application and type of facility. Examples of this variation are: enrichments varying from depleted (~0.2 wt% 235U) to high enriched (>20 wt% 235U); compositions consisting of U3O8, UO2, UF6, metallic, and ceramic forms; geometries ranging from plates, cans, and rods; and masses which can range from a 500 kg fuel assembly down to a few grams fuel pellet. Since 235U is a fissile material, it is routinely safeguarded in these facilities. Current techniques for quantifying the 235U mass in a sample include neutron coincidence counting. One of the main disadvantages of this technique is that it requires a known standard of representative geometry and composition for calibration, which opens up a pathway for potential erroneous declarations by the State and reduces the effectiveness of safeguards. In order to address this weakness, the authors have developed a neutron coincidence counting technique which uses the first principle point-model developed by Boehnel instead of the "known standard" method. This technique was primarily tested through simulations of 1000 g U3O8 samples using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) code. The results of these simulations showed good agreement between the simulated and exact 235U sample masses.

A neutron detector with moderate energy resolution (approx 3 MeV) has been built for neutrons in the energy range 75-175 MeV. The detector was designed for coincidence scattering experiments. The design eliminates the need for long neutron flight paths necessary for comparable energy resolution time-of-flight measurements with a comparable efficiency-solid angle product (0.02 msr). The detector consists of thin plastic scintillators in which the neutron undergoes n-p elastic scattering. The second-scattered protons are tracked by drift chambers and detected in a sodium iodide array. The design motivations and features are presented along with results from detailed in-beam experimental tests.

Sub-wavelength interference has a potential application in lithography to beat the classical Rayleigh limit of resolution. We carefully study the second-order correlation theory and find there is a bubble of sub-wavelength interference in photon coincidence detection. A Young's double-slit experiment with thermal light is carried out to test the second-order correlation pattern. The result shows that when different scanning ways of two point detectors are chosen, we can get arbitrary-wavelength interference patterns. We then give a theoretical explanation to this surprising result, and find this explanation is also suitable for the result by using entangled light. Furthermore, the question of whether this kind of arbitrary-wavelength interference patterns can be used in quantum lithography is also analyzed.

Full Text Available Minas Sakellakis,1 Thomas Makatsoris,1 Maria Gkermpesi,2 Stavros Peroukidis,1 Haralabos Kalofonos11Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, 2Department of Pathology, University, Hospital of Patras, Patras, GreeceAbstract: The association between inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer is well known. Ulcerative colitis is a risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer, and this risk increases with the activity and duration of bowel inflammation. Here we describe the case of a 52-year-old man who developed ulcerative colitis 6 years after the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer. Although this could be a coincidence, there could be additional possibilities, like pre-existence of quiescent colitis, late effect of therapy, or maybe the existence of common pathogenetic factors contributing to the development of ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer.Keywords: ulcerative, colitis, colorectal, cancer, inflammation

Full Text Available Cardiac rhabdomyomas are the most common primary cardiac tumors in children. These tumors are generally asymptomatic, although they may be associated with neonatal tuberous sclerosis complex. Despite the fact that thyroid dysfunction rarely occurs in tuberous sclerosis, papillary adenomas (hamartomas of the thyroid gland have been reported in a number of autopsies. Herein, we present the case of an infant with tuberous sclerosis, congenital hypothyroidism and multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas, leading to atrioventricular node dysfunction. Considering the rarity of this co-occurrence, we decided to report the present case. The co-occurrence of these two disorders in one patient may be a mere coincidence or related to hamartoma of the thyroid gland as a consequence of tuberous sclerosis gene products.

Novel drug development leading to final approval by the US FDA can cost as much as two billion dollars. Why the cost of novel drug discovery is so expensive is unclear, but high failure rates at the preclinical and clinical stages are major reasons. Although therapies targeting a given cell signaling pathway or a protein have become prominent in drug discovery, such treatments have done little in preventing or treating any disease alone because most chronic diseases have been found to be multigenic. A review of the discovery of numerous drugs currently being used for various diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and autoimmune diseases indicates that serendipity has played a major role in the discovery. In this review we provide evidence that rational drug discovery and targeted therapies have minimal roles in drug discovery, and that serendipity and coincidence have played and continue to play major roles. The primary focus in this review is on cancer-related drug discovery.

This paper is an invited commentary on Tamas Budavari's presentation, "On statistical cross-identification in astronomy," for the Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy V conference held at Pennsylvania State University in June 2011. I begin with a brief review of previous work on probabilistic (Bayesian) assessment of directional and spatio-temporal coincidences in astronomy (e.g., cross-matching or cross-identification of objects across multiple catalogs). Then I discuss an open issue in the recent innovative work of Budavari and his colleagues on large-scale probabilistic cross-identification: how to assign prior probabilities that play an important role in the analysis. With a simple toy problem, I show how Bayesian multilevel modeling (hierarchical Bayes) provides a principled framework that justifies and generalizes pragmatic rules of thumb that have been successfully used by Budavari's team to assign priors.

Abstract: Mass accountancy measurement is a nuclear nonproliferation application which utilizes coincidence and multiplicity counters to verify special nuclear material declarations. With a well-designed and efficient detector system, several relevant parameters of the material can be verified simultaneously. 6LiF/ZnS scintillating sheets may be used for this purpose due to a combination of high efficiency and short die-away times in systems designed with this material, but involve choices of detector geometry and exact material composition (e.g., the addition of Ni-quenching in the material) that must be optimized for the application. Multiplicity counting for verification of declared nuclear fuel mass involves neutron detection in conditions where several neutrons arrive in a short time window, with confounding gamma rays. This paper considers coincidence-based Pulse-Shape Discrimination (PSD) techniques developed to work under conditions of high pileup, and the performance of these algorithms with different detection materials. Simulated and real data from modern LiF/ZnS scintillator systems are evaluated with these techniques and the relationship between the performance under pileup and material characteristics (e.g., neutron peak width and total light collection efficiency) are determined, to allow for an optimal choice of detector and material.

This paper describes the design of a coincidence processing board for a dual-head Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner for breast imaging. The proposed block-oriented data acquisition system relies on a high-speed DSP processor for fully digital trigger and on-line event processing that surpasses the performance of traditional analog coincidence detection systems. A mixed-signal board has been designed and manufactured. The analog section comprises 12 coaxial inputs (six per head) which are digitized by means of two 8-channel 12-bit 40-MHz ADCs in order to acquire the scintillation pulse, the charge division signals and the depth of interaction within the scintillator. At the digital section, a state-of-the-art FPGA is used as deserializer and also implements the DMA interface to the DSP processor by storing each digitized channel into a fast embedded FIFO memory. The system incorporates a high-speed USB 2.0 interface to the host computer.

A new ion-ion coincidence imaging spectrometer based on a pixelated complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector has been developed for the investigation of molecular ionization and fragmentation processes in strong laser fields. Used as a part of a velocity map imaging spectrometer, the detection system is comprised of a set of microchannel plates and a Timepix detector. A fast time-to-digital converter (TDC) is used to enhance the ion time-of-flight resolution by correlating timestamps registered separately by the Timepix detector and the TDC. In addition, sub-pixel spatial resolution (algorithm. This performance is achieved while retaining a high event rate (104 per s). The spectrometer was characterized and used in a proof-of-principle experiment on strong field dissociative double ionization of carbon dioxide molecules (CO2), using a 400 kHz repetition rate laser system. The experimental results demonstrate that the spectrometer can detect multiple ions in coincidence, making it a valuable tool for studying the fragmentation dynamics of molecules in strong laser fields.

The goal of this project is to develop a novel imaging system that can simultaneously acquire beta and coincidence gamma images of positron sources in thin objects such as leaves of plants. This hybrid imager can be used to measure carbon assimilation in plants quantitatively and in real-time after C-11 labeled carbon-dioxide is administered. A better understanding of carbon assimilation, particularly under the increasingly elevated atmospheric CO2 level, is extremely critical for plant scientists who study food crop and biofuel production. Phase 1 of this project is focused on the technology development with 3 specific aims: (1) develop a hybrid detector that can detect beta and gamma rays simultaneously; (2) develop an imaging system that can differentiate these two types of radiation and acquire beta and coincidence gamma images in real-time; (3) develop techniques to quantify radiotracer distribution using beta and gamma images. Phase 2 of this project is to apply technologies developed in phase 1 to study plants using positron-emitting radionuclide such as 11C to study carbon assimilation in biofuel plants.

Traceability of length measurements to the international system of units (SI) can be realized by using optical interferometry making use of well-known frequencies of monochromatic light sources mentioned in the Mise en Pratique for the realization of the metre. At some national metrology institutes, such as Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany, the absolute length of prismatic bodies (e.g. gauge blocks) is realized by so-called gauge-block interference comparators. At PTB, a number of such imaging phase-stepping interference comparators exist, including specialized vacuum interference comparators, each equipped with three highly stabilized laser light sources. The length of a material measure is expressed as a multiple of each wavelength. The large number of integer interference orders can be extracted by the method of exact fractions in which the coincidence of the lengths resulting from the different wavelengths is utilized as a criterion. The unambiguous extraction of the integer interference orders is an essential prerequisite for correct length measurements. This paper critically discusses coincidence criteria and their validity for three modes of absolute length measurements: 1) measurements under vacuum in which the wavelengths can be identified with the vacuum wavelengths, 2) measurements under air in which the air refractive index is obtained from environmental parameters using an empirical equation, and 3) measurements under air in which the air refractive index is obtained interferometrically by utilizing a vacuum cell placed along the measurement pathway. For case 3), which corresponds to PTB’s Kösters-Comparator for long gauge blocks, the unambiguous determination of integer interference orders related to the air refractive index could be improved by about a factor of ten when an ‘overall dispersion value,’ suggested in this paper, is used as coincidence criterion.

We investigated the distribution patterns of Lewy body-related pathology (LRP) and the effect of coincident Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology using a data-driven clustering approach that identified groups with different LRP pathology distributions without any diagnostic or researcher's input in two cohorts including: Parkinson disease patients without (PD, n = 141) and with AD (PD-AD, n = 80), dementia with Lewy bodies subjects without AD (DLB, n = 13) and demented subjects with AD and LRP pathology (Dem-AD-LB, n = 308). The Dem-AD-LB group presented two LRP patterns, olfactory-amygdala and limbic LRP with negligible brainstem pathology, that were absent in the PD groups, which are not currently included in the DLB staging system and lacked extracranial LRP as opposed to the PD group. The Dem-AD-LB individuals showed relative preservation of substantia nigra cells and dopamine active transporter in putamen. PD cases with AD pathology showed increased LRP. The cluster with occipital LRP was associated with non-AD type dementia clinical diagnosis in the Dem-AD-LB group and a faster progression to dementia in the PD groups. We found that (1) LRP pathology in Dem-AD-LB shows a distribution that differs from PD, without significant brainstem or extracranial LRP in initial phases; (2) coincident AD pathology is associated with increased LRP in PD indicating an interaction; (3) LRP and coincident AD pathology independently predict progression to dementia in PD, and (4) evaluation of LRP needs to acknowledge different LRP spreading patterns and evaluate substantia nigra integrity in the neuropathological assessment and consider the implications of neuropathological heterogeneity for clinical and biomarker characterization.

Full Text Available The aim of the presented research is improvement of methodology for probability calculation of coinciding occurrence of historic floods and droughts in the same year. The original procedure was developed in order to determine the occurrence probability of such an extreme historic event. There are two phases in calculation procedure for assessment of both extreme drought and flood occurrence probability in the same year. In the first phase outliers are detected as indicators of extreme events, their return periods are calculated and series' statistics adjusted. In the second phase conditional probabilities are calculated: empirical points are plotted, and both extreme drought and flood occurrence probability in the same year is assessed based on the plot. Outlier detection is performed for the territory of Serbia. Results are shown as maps of regions (basins prone to floods, hydrologic drought, or both. Step-by-step numeric example is given for assessing conditional probability of occurrence of flood and drought for GS Raska on the river Raska. Results of assessment of conditional probability in two more cases are given for combination of extreme flood and 30 day minimum flow.

Hyperbilirubinemia has been presumed to prevent the process of atherogenesis and cancerogenesis mainly by decreasing oxidative stress. Dubin-Johnson syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive, inherited disorder characterized by biphasic, predominantly conjugated hyperbilirubinemia with no progression to end-stage liver disease. The molecular basis in Dubin-Johnson syndrome is absence or deficiency of human canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter MRP2/cMOAT caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation(s) in ABCC2 located on chromosome 10q24. Clinical onset of the syndrome is most often seen in the late teens or early adulthood. In this report, we describe a case of previously unrecognized Dubin-Johnson syndrome caused by two novel pathogenic mutations (c.2360_2366delCCCTGTC and c.3258+1G>A), coinciding with cholestatic liver disease in an 82-year-old male patient. The patient, suffering from advanced atherosclerosis with serious involvement of coronary arteries, developed colorectal cancer with nodal metastases. The subsequent findings do not support the protective role of Dubin-Johnson type hyperbilirubinemia.

High-precision measurements implemented with light are desired in all fields of science. However, light acts as a wave, and the Rayleigh criterion in classical optics yields a diffraction limit that prevents obtaining a resolution smaller than the wavelength. Sub-wavelength interference has potential application in lithography because it beats the classical Rayleigh resolution limit. Here, we carefully study second-order correlation theory to establish the physics behind sub-wavelength interference in photon coincidence detection. A Young's double slit experiment with pseudo-thermal light is performed to test the second-order correlation pattern. The results show that when two point detectors are scanned in different ways, super sub-wavelength interference patterns can be obtained. We then provide a theoretical explanation for this surprising result, and demonstrate that this explanation is also suitable for the results found for entangled light. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of these types of super sub-wavelength interference patterns in quantum lithography.

Full Text Available The Sudarium of Oviedo and the Shroud of Turin are two relics attributed to Jesus Christ that show a series of amazing coincidences announced in the past. In this contribution, we describe the X-ray fluorescence analysis carried out on the Sudarium. Among the chemical elements detected, calcium shows a statistically significant higher presence in the areas with bloody stains. This fact allows correlating its distribution with the anatomical features of the corpse. A large excess of calcium is observed close to the tip of the nose. It is atypical to find soil dirt in this zone of the anatomy, but it is just the same zone where a particular presence of dust was found in the Shroud. The very low concentration of strontium traces in the Sudarium matches also well with the type of limestone characteristic of the rock of Calvary in Jerusalem. This new finding adds to others recently released and it strengthens the tradition that both cloths have wrapped the body of Jesus of Nazareth.

This thesis describes an attempt to write down covariant actions for coincident D-branes using so-called boundary fermions instead of matrices to describe the non-abelian fields. These fermions can be thought of as Chan-Paton degrees of freedom for the open string. It is shown that by gauge-fixing and by suitably quantizing these boundary fermions the non-abelian action that is known, the Myers action, can be reproduced. Furthermore it is shown that under natural assumptions, unlike the Myers action, the action formulated using boundary fermions also posseses kappa-symmetry when formulated on superspace. Another aspect of string theory discussed in this thesis is that of tensionless strings. These are of great interest for example because of their possible relation to higher spin gauge theories via the AdS/CFT-correspondence. The tensionless superstring in a plane wave background, a Penrose limit of the near-horizon geometry of a stack of D3-branes, is considered and compared to the tensile case.

Mitochondria divide to control their size, distribution, turnover, and function. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is a critical mechanochemical GTPase that drives constriction during mitochondrial division. It is generally believed that mitochondrial division is regulated during recruitment of Drp1 to mitochondria and its oligomerization into a division apparatus. Here, we report an unforeseen mechanism that regulates mitochondrial division by coincident interactions of Drp1 with the head group and acyl chains of phospholipids. Drp1 recognizes the head group of phosphatidic acid (PA) and two saturated acyl chains of another phospholipid by penetrating into the hydrophobic core of the membrane. The dual phospholipid interactions restrain Drp1 via inhibition of oligomerization-stimulated GTP hydrolysis that promotes membrane constriction. Moreover, a PA-producing phospholipase, MitoPLD, binds Drp1, creating a PA-rich microenvironment in the vicinity of a division apparatus. Thus, PA controls the activation of Drp1 after the formation of the division apparatus.

Full Text Available This case report presents a coincidence of trisomy 18 and balanced Robertsonian translocation (13;14. Aneuploidy was suspected based on anomalies detected in ultrasound scan and confirmed with karyotype. In a 31 years-old healthy woman with a history of one miscarriage, second trimester ultrasound scan reported IUGR (<3rd percentile with normal amniotic fluid, bilateral choroid plexus cysts, suspicious agenesis of corpus callosum and clenched hands. Amniocentesis was performed and karyotype was 46xx,der(13;14 (q10;q10,+18. Maternal karyotype was 45xx,der(13;14(q10;q10. Pregnancy was continued due to legal limitation for termination after 20 weeks gestation. Delivery was done at 36 weeks gestation. A female newborn was borned and a physical feature was hypotonia, small mouth, prominent occiput, low-set and posteriorly rotated ears, clenched hands with overlapping fingers and rocker bottom feet. Ultrasound scan and echocardiography detected agenesis of corpus callosum and VSD, ASD, PDA and cardiomegaly. These features are typical of trisomy 18. Balanced Robertsonian translocation usually has no phenotypic expression. Genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for future pregnancy was recommended.

This study was performed to assess the correlation of calcified carotid atheromatous plaque (CCAP), the mandibular cortical index, and periodontal bone loss in panoramic radiographs. One hundred eighty-five panoramic radiographs with CCAP and 234 without this finding were evaluated by 3 observers for the presence of osseous changes related to osteoporosis and periodontal bone loss. Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the two groups for an association of CCAP with the mandibular cortical index and periodontal bone loss, respectively. There was a statistically significant coincidence of CCAP and osseous changes related to osteopenia/osteoporosis, with a p-value <0.001. There was no statistically significant coincidence of CCAP and periodontal bone loss. When comparing the 2 groups, 'With CCAP' and 'Without CCAP', there was a statistically significant association with the mean body mass index (BMI), number of remaining teeth, positive history of diabetes mellitus, and vascular accidents. There was no statistically significant association with gender or a history of smoking. This study identified a possible concurrence of CCAP and mandibular cortical changes secondary to osteopenia/osteoporosis in panoramic radiographs. This could demonstrate the important role of dental professionals in screening for these systemic conditions, leading to timely and appropriate referrals resulting in early interventions and thus improving overall health.

In the measurement field of international nuclear safeguards, passive neutron coincidence counting is used to quantify the spontaneous fission rate of certain special nuclear materials. The shift register autocorrelation analysis method is the most commonly used approach. However, the Feynman-Y technique, which is more commonly applied in reactor noise analysis, provides an alternative means to extract the correlation information from a pulse train. In this work we consider how to select the optimum gate width for each of these two time-correlation analysis techniques. The optimum is considered to be that which gives the lowest fractional precision on the net doublets rate. Our theoretical approach is approximate but is instructional in terms of revealing the key functional dependence. We show that in both cases the same performance figure of merit applies so that common design criteria apply to the neutron detector head. Our prediction is that near optimal results, suitable for most practical applications, can be obtained from both techniques using a common gate width setting. The estimated precision is also comparable in the two cases. The theoretical expressions are tested experimentally using 252Cf spontaneous fission sources measured in two thermal well counters representative of the type in common use by international inspectorates. Fast accidental sampling was the favored method of acquiring the Feynman-Y data. Our experimental study confirmed the basic functional dependences predicted although experimental results when available are preferred. With an appropriate gate setting Feynman-Y analysis provides an alternative to shift register analysis for safeguards applications which is opening up new avenues of data collection and data reduction to explore.

In the measurement field of international nuclear safeguards, passive neutron coincidence counting is used to quantify the spontaneous fission rate of certain special nuclear materials. The shift register autocorrelation analysis method is the most commonly used approach. However, the Feynman-Y technique, which is more commonly applied in reactor noise analysis, provides an alternative means to extract the correlation information from a pulse train. In this work we consider how to select the optimum gate width for each of these two time-correlation analysis techniques. The optimum is considered to be that which gives the lowest fractional precision on the net doublets rate. Our theoretical approach is approximate but is instructional in terms of revealing the key functional dependence. We show that in both cases the same performance figure of merit applies so that common design criteria apply to the neutron detector head. Our prediction is that near optimal results, suitable for most practical applications, can be obtained from both techniques using a common gate width setting. The estimated precision is also comparable in the two cases. The theoretical expressions are tested experimentally using {sup 252}Cf spontaneous fission sources measured in two thermal well counters representative of the type in common use by international inspectorates. Fast accidental sampling was the favored method of acquiring the Feynman-Y data. Our experimental study confirmed the basic functional dependences predicted although experimental results when available are preferred. With an appropriate gate setting Feynman-Y analysis provides an alternative to shift register analysis for safeguards applications which is opening up new avenues of data collection and data reduction to explore.

Full Text Available Background: On of the most common gasterointrestinal disease is gallstone disease and it`s prevalence is 11%-36%in autopsies. If gallstone leads to symptoms and side effect cholecystectomy will be inevitable. Gastric infection due to H.P will cause several symptoms of which dyspepsia and epigastric pain are outstanding .Gall stones also usually causes epigastric and/or right upper quadrant pain. Pain in other abdominal quadrant is less common. In this study we investigated the coincidence of gall stone and gastro intestinal H.P regarding the common symptom, between these two conditions to prevent unnecessary operation.Methods: The cases were adopted from cholecystectomy candidates due to gall stone disease (proved by ultrasonography. The control group were normal people who proved to be gall stone free ultrasonographicly. Serum IgG anti H.P was checked and compared between the two groups.Results: Seventy percent of patients entered into the study which consisted of 35 case and 35 controls. The two groups were not significantly different in age and gender. There were 22 (68.8% and 10 (31.2% H.P positive cases in case and control groups respectively. Thirteen (34.2% and 25 (65.8% cases were H.P negative in case and control groups respectively. Comparing these results will reveal a statistically significant difference (P=0.004.Conclusion: The relationship between gastric H.P and gall stone in this study supports the role of H.P in gall stone formation. According to our results and the common symptoms of two conditions specially in atypic biliary colic, it seems that in many cases gastrointestinal H.P causes the pain. Prospective studies are recommended.

This manual describes the Underwater Coincidence Counter (UWCC) that has been designed for the measurement of plutonium in mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies prior to irradiation. The UWCC uses high-efficiency {sup 3}He neutron detectors to measure the spontaneous-fission and induced-fission rates in the fuel assembly. Measurements can be made on MOX fuel assemblies in air or underwater. The neutron counting rate is analyzed for singles, doubles, and triples time correlations to determine the {sup 240}Pu effective mass per unit length of the fuel assembly. The system can verify the plutonium loading per unit length to a precision of less than 1% in a measurement time of 2 to 3 minutes. System design, components, performance tests, and operational characteristics are described in this manual.

The ATHENA observatory is the second large-class ESA mission, in the context of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, scheduled to be launched on 2028 at L2 orbit. One of the two planned focal plane instruments is the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU), which will be able to perform simultaneous high-grade energy spectroscopy and imaging over the 5 arcmin FoV by means of a kilo-pixel array of transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeters, coupled to a high-quality X-ray optics. The X-IFU sensitivity is degraded by the particle background, induced by primary protons of both solar and cosmic rays' origin and secondary electrons. A Cryogenic AntiCoincidence (CryoAC) TES-based detector, located sensed by Iridium TESs. We currently achieve a TRL = 3-4 at the single-pixel level. We have designed and developed two further prototypes in order to reach TRL = 4. The design of the CryoAC has been also optimized using the Geant4 simulation tool. Here we will describe some results from the Geant4 simulations performed to optimize the design and preliminary test results from the first of the twodetectors, 1 cm2 area, made of 65 Ir TESs.

The multiple electron capture in N{sup 7+} + Ar and F{sup 7+}(1s{sup 2}) + Ar systems is investigated at 70 keV with a new electron-recoil ion charge coincidence experiment. The whole electron energy range has been studied. Up to six electrons are found to be captured into autoionizing states. The recoil ion charge distribution associated with the emission of electrons is similar for both systems and found to be in good agreement with the prediction of Niehaus`s model roughly adapted to take into account autoionizing cascades. New findings for the coincident double and triple captures are briefly discussed. A capture of an inner L-shell electron of Ar into the K-shell of the projectile is also observed in N{sup 7+} + Ar collisions. (orig.) 10 refs.

Full Text Available Abstract Background IgA nephropathy (IgAN is the most common glomerulonephritis, which may also coexist with other diseases. We present two patients with an unusual coincidence of IgAN and Fabry disease (FD. Case presentation A 26 year-old man underwent a renal biopsy in February 2001. Histopathology showed very advanced IgAN and vascular changes as a result of hypertension. Because of his progressive renal insufficiency the patient began hemodialysis in August 2001. By means of the blood spot test screening method the diagnosis of FD was suspected. Low activity of alpha-galactosidase A in the patient’s plasma and leukocytes and DNA analysis confirmed the diagnosis of FD. Enzyme replacement therapy started in July 2004. Then the patient underwent kidney transplantation in November 2005. Currently, his actual serum creatinine level is 250 μmol/l. Other organ damages included hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, neuropathic pain and febrile crisis. After enzyme replacement therapy, myocardial hypertrophy has stabilized and other symptoms have disappeared. No further progression of the disease has been noted. The other patient, a 30 year-old woman, suffered from long-term hematuria with a good renal function. Recently, proteinuria (2.6 g/day appeared and a renal biopsy was performed. Histopathology showed IgAN with remarkably enlarged podocytes. A combination of IgAN and a high suspicion of FD was diagnosed. Electron microscopy revealed dense deposits in paramesangial areas typical for IgAN and podocytes with inclusive zebra bodies and myelin figures characteristic of FD. FD was confirmed by the decreased alpha-galactosidase A activity in plasma and leukocytes and by DNA and RNA analysis. Enzyme replacement therapy and family screening were initiated. Conclusions Our results emphasize the role of complexity in the process of diagnostic evaluation of kidney biopsy samples. Electron microscopy represents an integral part of histopathology, and genetic

We use an analytical theory of noisy Poisson processes, developed in the preceding companion publication, to compare coincidence and covariance measurement approaches in photoelectron and -ion spectroscopy. For non-unit detection efficiencies, coincidence data acquisition (DAQ) suffers from false coincidences. The rate of false coincidences grows quadratically with the rate of elementary ionization events. To minimize false coincidences for rare event outcomes, very low event rates may hence be required. Coincidence measurements exhibit high tolerance to noise introduced by unstable experimental conditions. Covariance DAQ on the other hand is free of systematic errors as long as stable experimental conditions are maintained. In the presence of noise, all channels in a covariance measurement become correlated. Under favourable conditions, covariance DAQ may allow orders of magnitude reduction in measurement times. Finally, we use experimental data for strong-field ionization of 1,3-butadiene to illustrate how fluctuations in experimental conditions can contaminate a covariance measurement, and how such contamination can be detected.

The true coincidence correction in measuring filter samples has been studied by high efficiency HPGe gamma detectors. The true coincidence correction for a specific three excited levels de-excitation case has been analyzed, and the typical analytical expressions of true coincidence correction factors have been given. According to the measured relative efficiency on the detector surface with 8 'single' energy gamma emitters and efficiency of filter samples, the peak and total efficiency surfaces are fitted. The true coincidence correction factors of sup 6 sup 0 Co and sup 1 sup 5 sup 2 Eu calculated by the efficiency surfaces agree well with experimental results

We report on the characterization of 2 mm thick CdTe diode detector with Schottky contacts to be employed in a novel conceptual design of PET scanner. Results at -8°C with an applied bias voltage of -1000 V/mm show a 1.2% FWHM energy resolution at 511 keV. Coincidence time resolution has been measured by triggering on the preamplifier output signal to improve the timing resolution of the detector. Results at the same bias and temperature conditions show a FWHM of 6 ns with a minimum acceptance energy of 500 keV. These results show that pixelated CdTe Schottky diode is an excellent candidate for the development of next generation nuclear medical imaging devices such as PET, Compton gamma cameras, and especially PET-MRI hybrid systems when used in a magnetic field immune configuration.

The passive neutron Coincidence Collar, which was developed for the verification of plutonium content in fast reactor fuel subassemblies, has been field tested using Prototype Fast Reactor fuel. For passive applications, the system measures the /sup 240/Pu-effective mass from the spontaneous fission rate, and in addition, a self-interrogation technique is used to determine the fissile content in the subassembly. Both the passive and active modes were evaluated at the Windscale Works in the United Kingdom. The results of the tests gave a standard deviation 0.75% for the passive count and 3 to 7% for the active measurement for a 1000-s counting time. The unit will be used in the future for the verification of plutonium in fresh fuel assemblies.

Jung develops synchronicity as an a causal principle of connection by recounting various examples of meaningful coincidence from experience and by analysing various systems of divination, notably the I Ching. Philosophical theory of causality has given no significant attention to synchronicity; the events of synchronicity are regarded as chance. The Neapolitan philosopher Giambattista Vico (1668-1744) developed a doctrine of historical experience and of self-knowledge that grounds the phenomenon of synchronicity in a metaphysics. James Joyce employed Vico's conception of language and historical cycles as the basis of Joyce's final literary work, Finnegans Wake. Vico's metaphysical sense of synchronicity and Joyce's literary formulation offer a grounding of this principle in non-divinatory sources in modern Western thought, something which Jung's discussion does not provide. These philosophical and literary perspectives complement Jung's to offer an expanded context in which to recognize synchronicity and to make sense of it.

The first ionisation potential of the CF sub 3 radical has been determined in this work from the appearance potential of the CF sub 3 sup + fragment, formed in the photofragmentation of CF sub 3 Br. In obtaining this value special care has been taken in removing the contributions from second order light and internal energy of the fragmenting parent ion. The resulting ionisation potential was found to be in very good agreement with a number of recent theoretical calculations. The valence photoelectron spectra of three monoterpenes such as limonene, carvone and camphor have been recorded along with their mass spectra taken in coincidence with energy selected photoelectrons, providing information about state selected parent ion fragmentation channels. A new photoelectron spectrometer based on the Alien box design has been studied by ray-tracing simulations. It will include a two dimensional position sensitive detector system consisting in two micro channel plates in a chevron stack and a delay-line anode to enco...

An element analysis method, coincidence Doppler broadening spectroscopy of slow positron annihilation, was employed to detect helium in ion-irradiated Fe9Cr alloys. Spectra with higher peak to background ratio were recorded using a two-HPGe detector coincidence measuring system. It means that information in the high-momentum area of the spectra can be used to identify helium in metals. This identification is not entirely dependent on the helium concentration in the specimens, but is related to the structure and microscopic arrangement of atoms surrounding the positron annihilation site. The results of Doppler broadening spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy show that vacancies and dislocations were formed in ion-irradiated specimens. Thermal helium desorption spectrometry was performed to obtain the types of He traps.

We present a microwave discharge flow tube coupled with a double imaging electron/ion coincidence device and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation. The system has been applied to the study of the photoelectron spectroscopy of the well-known radicals OH and OD. The coincidence imaging scheme provides a high selectivity and yields the spectra of the pure radicals, removing the ever-present contributions from excess reactants, background, or secondary products, and therefore obviating the need for a prior knowledge of all possible byproducts. The photoelectron spectra encompassing the X{sup 3}Σ{sup −} ground state of the OH{sup +} and OD{sup +} cations have been extracted and the vibrational constants compared satisfactorily to existing literature values. Future advantages of this approach include measurement of high resolution VUV spectroscopy of radicals, their absolute photoionization cross section, and species/isomer identification in chemical reactions as a function of time.

We present a microwave discharge flow tube coupled with a double imaging electron/ion coincidence device and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation. The system has been applied to the study of the photoelectron spectroscopy of the well-known radicals OH and OD. The coincidence imaging scheme provides a high selectivity and yields the spectra of the pure radicals, removing the ever-present contributions from excess reactants, background, or secondary products, and therefore obviating the need for a prior knowledge of all possible byproducts. The photoelectron spectra encompassing the X3Σ- ground state of the OH+ and OD+ cations have been extracted and the vibrational constants compared satisfactorily to existing literature values. Future advantages of this approach include measurement of high resolution VUV spectroscopy of radicals, their absolute photoionization cross section, and species/isomer identification in chemical reactions as a function of time.

In this paper, we first give the definitions of finitely continuous topological space and FC-subspace generated by some set, and obtain coincidence point theorem, whole intersection theorems and Ky Fan type matching theorems, and finally discuss the existence of saddle point as an application of coincidence point theorem.

We study the critical points of a Universe dominated by ELKO spinor field dark energy and a barotropic matter in an almost general case. The coincidence problem and attractor solutions are discussed and it is shown the coincidence problem can not be alleviated in this model.

Core hole creation and subsequent Auger decay processes are studied with unprecedented discrimination by Auger-Photoelectron Coincidence Spectroscopy (APECS). Early works in this field have already pointed out the intrinsic surface sensitivity of these experiments. However, it was not until recently that a model calculation was developed to quantitatively evaluate it. Here we present the first attempt to experimentally establish an effective target thickness for such experiments. The angular distribution of 3p{sub 3/2} photoelectron with kinetic energy of 160 eV is measured in coincidence with the M{sub 3}VV Auger electron with kinetic energy of 55 eV on a Cu (1 1 1) surface. Coincidence and non-coincidence photoelectron angular distributions display differences that, to large extent, are explained by confining the source of the coincident signal within the first two layers of Cu target, thus establishing an experimental upper limit for the effective target thickness of the APECS experiment.

Human toxocarosis is a chronic larval parasitosis listed as one of the five most important neglected diseases by the CDC. The larvae can spread systemically and migrate to different tissues including liver and gallbladder. Acalculous acute cholecystitis (AAC) is a rare disease in children. The diagnosis is based on clinical parameters and imaging criteria. It has been reported in relation to sepsis, shock, trauma, burns, severe systemic diseases, congenital anomalies, infections and also in healthy children. We report a pediatric case of toxocarosis, with clinical symptoms and imaging criteria compatible with AAC treated medically, and discuss the relationship between toxocarosis and AAC based on published evidence.

First results for the investigation of electron capture processes in collisions between multicharged ions and molecule targets using electron spectroscopy in coincidence with charged fragments, are presented. It is shown that a much more detailed investigation of the capture reaction can be achieved using molecular instead of heavy atomic targets provided that an analysis of the target dissociation is made. The collisional systems {sup 18}O{sup 8+}+Ar, CO{sub 2} and C{sub 60} have been studied at 80 keV. Non coincident electron spectra as well as first results of double or triple coincidence experiments are discussed. Kinetic energy distributions of the C{sub n}{sup +} fragments (n=1 to 8) produced in multiple capture processes from C{sub 60} target are given. A detailed investigation of the double capture process with CO{sub 2} molecule allows the measurement of kinetic energy release distributions (KERD) which characterize the dissociation of CO{sub 2}{sup 2+} molecular ions; our results are found to be very similar to those measured in double photoionisation experiments. (orig.)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized with immune complex formation and renal involvement of lupus and may include several kinds of pathological conditions, but mostly, it is associated with immune complex-induced glomerular disease. Pauci-immune lupus nephritis is a very rare condition. We describe a 45-year-old female patient with pauci-immune crescentic necrotizing lupus nephritis and briefly discuss the possible mechanism and pathogenesis.

In any Bell test, loopholes can cause issues in the interpretation of the results, since an apparent violation of the inequality may not correspond to a violation of local realism. An important example is the coincidence-time loophole that arises when detector settings might influence the time when detection will occur. This effect can be observed in many experiments where measurement outcomes are to be compared between remote stations because the interpretation of an ostensible Bell violation strongly depends on the method used to decide coincidence. The coincidence-time loophole has previously been studied for the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt and Clauser-Horne inequalities, but recent experiments have shown the need for a generalization. Here, we study the generalized "chained" inequality by Pearle, Braunstein, and Caves (PBC) with N ≥2 settings per observer. This inequality has applications in, for instance, quantum key distribution where it has been used to reestablish security. In this paper we give the minimum coincidence probability for the PBC inequality for all N ≥2 and show that this bound is tight for a violation free of the fair-coincidence assumption. Thus, if an experiment has a coincidence probability exceeding the critical value derived here, the coincidence-time loophole is eliminated.

The authors study the coincidence theory for pairs of maps from the Torus to the Klein bottle. Reidemeister classes and the Nielsen number are computed, and it is shown that any given pair of maps satisfies the Wecken property. The 1-parameter Wecken property is studied and a partial negative answer is derived. That is for all pairs of coincidence free maps a countable family of pairs of maps in the homotopy class is constructed such that no two members may be joined by a coincidence free homotopy.

For comparison of arbitrary frequency signals, the paper proposed two levels of length vernier based on the time-space relationship are used in three levels of phase coincidence detecting circuits to extract the phase coincidence information by proper logic calculation. The length∕phase of each vernier is respectively corresponding to the accuracy and the resolution of detecting circuit. The time-space relationship is based on high-stability, high-accuracy, and high-speed of signal transmission. The method is effective to reduce the fuzzy region in the phase coincidence information and reach a higher measuring precision.

Based on the multi-coincidence measurement, the time resolution of three liquid scintillation detectors (BC501A) were determined strictly by solving the coincidence equations, where the influence from electronics estimated by self coincidence measurement as well as the background had been considered. The result of this work agreed well with the result that was deduced from the traditional method, and it will be helpful to analyze the energy resolution of neutron time of flight spectra measured by using such detectors at CIAE (China Institute of Atomic Energy).

We analyzed 10 established and 4 new satellite reflectance algorithms for estimating chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in a temperate reservoir in southwest Ohio using coincident hyperspectral aircraft imagery and dense water truth collected within one hour of image acquisition to develop si...

We analyzed 10 established and 4 new satellite reflectance algorithms for estimating chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in a temperate reservoir in southwest Ohio using coincident hyperspectral aircraft imagery and dense water truth collected within one hour of image acquisition to develop si...

Coordinate transformation plays an indispensable role in industrial measurements, including photogrammetry, geodesy, laser 3-D measurement and robotics. The widely applied methods of coordinate transformation are generally based on solving the equations of point clouds. Despite the high accuracy, this might result in no solution due to the use of ill conditioned matrices. In this paper, a novel coordinate transformation method is proposed, not based on the equation solution but based on the geometric transformation. We construct characteristic lines to represent the coordinate systems. According to the space geometry relation, the characteristic line scan is made to coincide by a series of rotations and translations. The transformation matrix can be obtained using matrix transformation theory. Experiments are designed to compare the proposed method with other methods. The results show that the proposed method has the same high accuracy, but the operation is more convenient and flexible. A multi-sensor combined measurement system is also presented to improve the position accuracy of a robot with the calibration of the robot kinematic parameters. Experimental verification shows that the position accuracy of robot manipulator is improved by 45.8% with the proposed method and robot calibration.

Results on the modeling and experimentation on a preliminary structure to be used in neutron dosimetry are presented. The structure consists of a thin reactive layer deposited on two facing diodes. The sensor has been developed mainly to solve the problem of neutron dosimetry in the intermediate energy range (0.5 eV to 500 keV) for which the existing electronic systems are ineffective. The use of a coincidence method for the detection of the nuclear reaction products allows the discrimination of the gamma interactions. The system can also be used down to thermal energies for which the sensitivity is considerably higher. The sensor response depends on the thickness of the reactive layer which defines the neutron sensitivity and has an influence on the slowing down and absorption of emitted particles, the depletion layer which has to be optimized for a given energy range, the thickness of the dead layer of each detector. For experimentations with an Am-Be source, we have chosen following parameters: 100 nm for ...

Full Text Available Coordinate transformation plays an indispensable role in industrial measurements, including photogrammetry, geodesy, laser 3-D measurement and robotics. The widely applied methods of coordinate transformation are generally based on solving the equations of point clouds. Despite the high accuracy, this might result in no solution due to the use of ill conditioned matrices. In this paper, a novel coordinate transformation method is proposed, not based on the equation solution but based on the geometric transformation. We construct characteristic lines to represent the coordinate systems. According to the space geometry relation, the characteristic line scan is made to coincide by a series of rotations and translations. The transformation matrix can be obtained using matrix transformation theory. Experiments are designed to compare the proposed method with other methods. The results show that the proposed method has the same high accuracy, but the operation is more convenient and flexible. A multi-sensor combined measurement system is also presented to improve the position accuracy of a robot with the calibration of the robot kinematic parameters. Experimental verification shows that the position accuracy of robot manipulator is improved by 45.8% with the proposed method and robot calibration.

Measuring the 2 dimensional Stokes vector, to determine the polarization state of light, finds application in multiple areas, including the characterization of aerosol size distributions, target identification, quality control by evaluating the distribution of stress birefringence, resolving data channels in telecommunications, and for evaluating biological tissues in medical imaging. Conventional methods, such as channeled and division of focal plane polarimeters, usually limit spatial resolution, while others, like division of aperture or division of amplitude polarimeters, have higher complexity and less compactness. To help solve these issues, we have developed a system that uses semitransparent organic photovoltaics (OPVs) as photodetectors. The active area of the devices consist of biaxially oriented polymer films, which enables the device to preferentially absorb certain polarized states of incident light, depending on the orientation of the polymer chains. Taking advantage of the cells' transparency and ease of processing, compared to inorganic materials, enables multiple devices to be "stacked" along the optical axis. Presently, experiments have been conducted to detect linear polarization states of light. We use three stacked OPVs, where each device can measure one of the first three Stokes parameters simultaneously, thereby ensuring high spatial and temporal resolution with inherent spatial registration. In this paper, the fabrication of the OPVs and the design and calibration technique is documented, along with experimental data, supporting the hypothesis.

Polarimetry has widespread applications within atmospheric sensing, telecommunications, biomedical imaging, and target detection. Several existing methods of imaging polarimetry trade off the sensor's spatial resolution for polarimetric resolution, and often have some form of spatial registration error. To mitigate these issues, we have developed a system using oriented polymer-based organic photovoltaics (OPVs) that can preferentially absorb linearly polarized light. Additionally, the OPV cells can be made semitransparent, enabling multiple detectors to be cascaded along the same optical axis. Since each device performs a partial polarization measurement of the same incident beam, high temporal resolution is maintained with the potential for inherent spatial registration. In this paper, a Mueller matrix model of the stacked OPV design is provided. Based on this model, a calibration technique is developed and presented. This calibration technique and model are validated with experimental data, taken with a cascaded three cell OPV Stokes polarimeter, capable of measuring incident linear polarization states. Our results indicate polarization measurement error of 1.2% RMS and an average absolute radiometric accuracy of 2.2% for the demonstrated polarimeter.

Studying event time series is a powerful approach for analyzing the dynamics of complex dynamical systems in many fields of science. In this paper, we describe the method of event coincidence analysis to provide a framework for quantifying the strength, directionality and time lag of statistical interrelationships between event series. Event coincidence analysis allows to formulate and test null hypotheses on the origin of the observed interrelationships including tests based on Poisson processes or, more generally, stochastic point processes with a prescribed inter-event time distribution and other higher-order properties. Applying the framework to country-level observational data yields evidence that flood events have acted as triggers of epidemic outbreaks globally since the 1950s. Facing projected future changes in the statistics of climatic extreme events, statistical techniques such as event coincidence analysis will be relevant for investigating the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on human societies and ecosystems worldwide.

The proposed SAFIR PET detector will measure positron electron annihilations at injected activities up to 500 MBq in a mouse or rat. The system is required to have the best possible timing resolution in order to remove accidental coincidences (randoms) and maximise the image quality for short time frames allowing the possibility of 4-D kinetic modelling of simultaneous PET and MRI for the first time. Two different ASICs, TOFPET and STiC, have been investigated with LYSO crystal scintillators coupled to SiPM detectors and using 18F sources up to 480 MBq. Timing responses are very encouraging with a coincidence time resolution of ~100 ps measured at low activities, degrading to 130 ps at the foreseen scanner maximum event rate. Sensitivities for single event rates and coincidences are measured and compared with Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations.

In the frame of the Transport Collaboration neutrons in coincidence with charged fragments produced in the {sup 40}Ca + H reaction at E{sub lab} = 357 and 565 AMeV have been measured at the Heavy Ion Spectrometer System (HISS) facility of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, using the multifunctional neutron spectrometer MUFFINS. The detector covered a narrow angular range about the beam in the forward direction (0? - 3.2?). In this contribution we report absolute neutron production cross sections in coincidence with charged fragments (10 {<=} Z {<=} 20). The neutron multiplicities have been estimated from the comparison between the neutron cross sections, in coincidence with the fragments, and the elemental cross sections. We have found evidence for a pre-equilibrium emission of prompt neutrons in superposition to a 'slower' deexcitation of the equilibrated remnant by emission of nucleons and fragments, as already seen in the inclusive rapidity distributions.

Ecological communities that experience stable climate conditions have been speculated to preserve more specialized interspecific associations and have higher proportions of smaller ranged species (SRS). Thus, areas with disproportionally large numbers of SRS are expected to coincide geographicall...

Argon L{sub 2.3}-M{sub 2.3}M{sub 2.3} Auger-electron spectra were measured in coincidence with K{alpha} fluorescent x-rays in studies of Ar K-shell vacancy decays at several photon energies above the K-threshold and on the 1s-4p resonance in atomic argon. The complex spectra recorded by conventional electron spectroscopy are greatly simplified when recorded in coincidence with fluorescent x-rays, allowing a more detailed analysis of the vacancy cascade process. The resulting coincidence spectra are compared with Hartree-Fock calculations which include shake-up transitions in the resonant case. Small energy shifts of the coincidence electron spectra are attributed to post-collision interaction with 1s photoelectrons.

The use of time-of-flight (TOF) information in positron emission tomography (PET) enables significant improvement in image noise properties and, therefore, lesion detection. Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are solid-state photosensors that have several advantages over photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). SiPMs are small, essentially transparent to 511 keV gamma rays and insensitive to magnetic fields. This enables novel detector designs aimed at e.g. compactness, high resolution, depth-of-interaction (DOI) correction and MRI compatibility. The goal of the present work is to study the timing performance of SiPMs in combination with LaBr(3):Ce(5%), a relatively new scintillator with promising characteristics for TOF-PET. Measurements were performed with two, bare, 3 mm x 3 mm x 5 mm LaBr(3):Ce(5%) crystals, each coupled to a 3 mm x 3 mm SiPM. Using a (22)Na point source placed at various positions in between the twodetectors, a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of approximately 100 ps FWHM for 511 keV annihilation photon pairs was achieved, corresponding to a TOF positioning resolution of approximately 15 mm FWHM. At the same time, pulse height spectra with well-resolved full-energy peaks were obtained. To our knowledge this is the best CRT reported for SiPM-based scintillation detectors to date. It is concluded that SiPM-based scintillation detectors can provide timing resolutions at least as good as detectors based on PMTs.

The use of time-of-flight (TOF) information in positron emission tomography (PET) enables significant improvement in image noise properties and, therefore, lesion detection. Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are solid-state photosensors that have several advantages over photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). SiPMs are small, essentially transparent to 511 keV gamma rays and insensitive to magnetic fields. This enables novel detector designs aimed at e.g. compactness, high resolution, depth-of-interaction (DOI) correction and MRI compatibility. The goal of the present work is to study the timing performance of SiPMs in combination with LaBr{sub 3}:Ce(5%), a relatively new scintillator with promising characteristics for TOF-PET. Measurements were performed with two, bare, 3 mm x 3 mm x 5 mm LaBr{sub 3}:Ce(5%) crystals, each coupled to a 3 mm x 3 mm SiPM. Using a {sup 22}Na point source placed at various positions in between the twodetectors, a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of {approx}100 ps FWHM for 511 keV annihilation photon pairs was achieved, corresponding to a TOF positioning resolution of {approx}15 mm FWHM. At the same time, pulse height spectra with well-resolved full-energy peaks were obtained. To our knowledge this is the best CRT reported for SiPM-based scintillation detectors to date. It is concluded that SiPM-based scintillation detectors can provide timing resolutions at least as good as detectors based on PMTs. (note)

The remote sensing community often requires data simulation, either via spectral/spatial downsampling or through virtual, physics-based models, to assess systems and algorithms. The Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) model is one such first-principles, physics-based model for simulating imagery for a range of modalities. Complex simulation of vegetation environments subsequently has become possible, as scene rendering technology and software advanced. This in turn has created questions related to the validity of such complex models, with potential multiple scattering, bidirectional distribution function (BRDF), etc. phenomena that could impact results in the case of complex vegetation scenes. We selected three sites, located in the Pacific Southwest domain (Fresno, CA) of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). These sites represent oak savanna, hardwood forests, and conifer-manzanita-mixed forests. We constructed corresponding virtual scenes, using airborne LiDAR and imaging spectroscopy data from NEON, ground-based LiDAR data, and field-collected spectra to characterize the scenes. Imaging spectroscopy data for these virtual sites then were generated using the DIRSIG simulation environment. This simulated imagery was compared to real AVIRIS imagery (15m spatial resolution; 12 pixels/scene) and NEON Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) data (1m spatial resolution; 180 pixels/scene). These tests were performed using a distribution-comparison approach for select spectral statistics, e.g., established the spectra's shape, for each simulated versus real distribution pair. The initial comparison results of the spectral distributions indicated that the shapes of spectra between the virtual and real sites were closely matched.

We derive a formal theory of noisy Poisson processes with multiple outcomes. We obtain simple, compact expressions for the probability distribution function of arbitrarily complex composite events and its moments. We illustrate the utility of the theory by analyzing properties of coincidence and covariance photoelectron-photoion detection involving single-ionization events. The results and techniques introduced in this work are directly applicable to more general coincidence and covariance experiments, including multiple ionization and multiple-ion fragmentation pathways.

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of stimulus direction and velocity on the coincident timing performance of a ballistic striking task. 26 subjects randomly performed 20 trials at each of two stimulus velocities (4 and 8 mph) and two striking variations (moving with an approaching stimulus or in opposition to it). Analysis indicated the direction of an approaching stimulus does not appear to influence the coincident timing of a ballistic striking action.

We first establish some existence results concerning approximate coincidence point properties and approximate fixed point properties for various types of nonlinear contractive maps in the setting of cone metric spaces and general metric spaces. From these results, we present some new coincidence point and fixed point theorems which generalize Berinde-Berinde's fixed point theorem, Mizoguchi-Takahashi's fixed point theorem, and some well-known results in the literature.

We have designed a Compton Camera (CC) to image the bio-distribution of gamma-emitting radiopharmaceuticals in mice. A CC employs the 'electronic collimation', i.e. a technique that traces the gamma-rays instead of selecting them with physical lead or tungsten collimators. To perform such a task, a CC measures the parameters of the Compton interaction that occurs in the device itself. At least twodetectors are required: one (tracker), where the primary gamma undergoes a Compton interaction and a second one (calorimeter), in which the scattered gamma is completely absorbed. Eventually the polar angle and hence a 'cone' of possible incident directions are obtained (event with 'incomplete geometry'). Different solutions for the twodetectors are proposed in the literature: our design foresees two similar Position Sensitive Photomultipliers (PMT, Hamamatsu H8500). Each PMT has 64 output channels that are reduced to 4 using a charge multiplexed readout system, i.e. a Series Charge Multiplexing net of resistors. Triggering of the system is provided by the coincidence of fast signals extracted at the last dynode of the PMTs. Assets are the low cost and the simplicity of design and operation, having just one type of device; among drawbacks there is a lower resolution with respect to more sophisticated trackers and full 64 channels Readout. This paper does compare our design of our two-Hamamatsu CC to other solutions and shows how the spatial and energy accuracy is suitable for the inspection of radioactivity in mice.

Radionuclides are cosmogenically produced in meteorites before they fall to the surface of the Earth. Measurement of the radioactive decay of such nuclides provides a wealth of information on the irradiation conditions of the meteorite fragment, the intensity of cosmic rays in the inner solar system, and the magnetic activity of the Sun. We report here on the detection of (26)Al using a sophisticated spectrometer consisting of a HPGe detector and a NaI(Tl) annulus. It is shown that modern γ-ray spectrometers represent an interesting alternative to other detection techniques. Data are obtained for a fragment of the Farmville meteorite and compared to results from Geant4 simulations. In particular, we report on optimizing the detection sensitivity by using suitable coincidence gates for deposited energy and event multiplicity. We measured an (26)Al activity of 48.5±3.5dpm/kg for the Farmville meteorite, in agreement with previously reported values for other H chondrites.

Photon-counting Geiger-mode lidar detector arrays provide a promising approach for producing three-dimensional (3D) video at full motion video (FMV) data rates, resolution, and image size from long ranges. However, coincidence processing required to filter raw photon counts is computationally expensive, generally requiring significant size, weight, and power (SWaP) and also time. In this paper, we describe a laboratory test-bed developed to assess the feasibility of low-SWaP, real-time processing for 3D FMV based on Geiger-mode lidar. First, we examine a design based on field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and demonstrate proof-of-concept results. Then we examine a design based on a first-of-its-kind embedded graphical processing unit (GPU) and compare performance with the FPGA. Results indicate feasibility of real-time Geiger-mode lidar processing for 3D FMV and also suggest utility for real-time onboard processing for mapping lidar systems.

Human speech perception is profoundly influenced by vision. Watching a speaker's mouth movements significantly improves comprehension, both for normal listeners in noisy environments and especially for the hearing impaired. A number of brain regions have been implicated in audiovisual speech tasks, but little evidence distinguishes them functionally. In an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we differentiate neural systems that evaluate cross-modal coincidence of the physical stimuli from those that mediate perceptual binding. Regions consistently involved in perceptual fusion per se included Heschl's gyrus, superior temporal sulcus, middle intraparietal sulcus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Successful fusion elicited activity biased toward the left hemisphere, although failed cross-modal binding recruited regions in both hemispheres. A broad network of other areas, including the superior colliculus, anterior insula, and anterior intraparietal sulcus, were more involved with evaluating the spatiotemporal correspondence of speech stimuli, regardless of a subject's perception. All of these showed greater activity to temporally offset stimuli than to audiovisually synchronous stimuli. Our results demonstrate how elements of the cross-modal speech integration network differ in their sensitivity to physical reality versus perceptual experience.

Coalescing compact binary systems consisting of neutron stars and/or black holes should be detectable with upcoming advanced gravitational-wave detectors such as LIGO, Virgo, GEO and {KAGRA}. Gravitational-wave experiments to date have been riddled with non-Gaussian, non-stationary noise that makes it challenging to ascertain the significance of an event. A popular method to estimate significance is to time shift the events collected between detectors in order to establish a false coincidence rate. Here we propose a method for estimating the false alarm probability of events using variables commonly available to search candidates that does not rely on explicitly time shifting the events while still capturing the non-Gaussianity of the data. We present a method for establishing a statistical detection of events in the case where several silver-plated (3--5$\\sigma$) events exist but not necessarily any gold-plated ($>5\\sigma$) events. We use LIGO data and a simulated, realistic, blind signal population to test ...

The last twenty years have seen the discovery of electric discharges in the Earth's atmosphere above thunderstorms, the so-called sprites and jets. It has been suggested that they impact the atmospheric chemistry and possibly affect the ozone layer through their repeated occurrence. Whereas theoretical studies and laboratory experiments suggest enhancement of such gasses as nitrogen oxides by up to hundreds of percent within sprites, a definitive detection of their chemical effects have to date been unsuccessful. In this paper, we report on the first measurements of atmospheric chemical perturbations recorded in coincidence with sprite activity. A striking event occurred on 25 August 2003 when the MIPAS spectrometer onboard the Envisat satellite recorded spectroscopic measurements soon after a sequence of 11 sprites observed above Corsica (France) by Eurosprite ground facilities (details of the convective system are discussed in a companion paper by São Sabbas et al.). The measurements show an enhancement of ambient nitrous oxide by 80% at 52 km altitude in the region above the parent thunderstorm. The recorded chemical changes imply sprites can exert significant modification of the atmospheric chemistry at a regional scale, confirming model and laboratory predictions of sprite-chemistry, and requiring a new estimate of their global impact. The results of the analysis and their implications are discussed.

Full Text Available Purpose: We report a patient who, based on the clinical manifestations, was originally diagnosed as having Chandler's syndrome and later developed varicella-zoster virus (VZV DNA-positive anterior uveitis. Methods: The patient with Chandler's syndrome who manifested anterior uveitis underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR was used to amplify the viral DNA in the aqueous humor to determine the cause of the intraocular inflammation. Results: Slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed focal iris atrophy and peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS; specular microscopy of the corneal endothelium disclosed the hammered-silver appearance. Based on these clinical findings, we diagnosed this patient as having Chandler's syndrome. During the follow-up period, however, the inflammatory cells suddenly appeared in the anterior chamber with formation of keratic precipitates and an increased intraocular pressure (IOP. VZV DNA was displayed in the aqueous humor by PCR. Based upon the diagnosis of VZV anterior uveitis, corticosteroids and acyclovir were given topically and systemically. The inflammation subsided with these medications; however, trabeculectomy was finally needed to control the IOP due to PAS progression. Conclusion: The coincidence of VZV anterior uveitis with Chandler's syndrome may constitute an implication for the possible viral etiology of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome.

Abstract Both the peak and total detection efficiencies are generally needed in order to calculate sample activity from a gamma spectroscopic measurement, except in the case of isotope specific calibration. This is particularly true when the sample is in close proximity to the detector and corrections for cascade summing effects are required to avoid significant inaccuracy in the result. These corrections use the total detection efficiency to correct for summing-in and summing-out events, and the extent of the correction depends on both the geometry and the gamma cascade for the isotope in question. Experimentally determining the total efficiency is a labor intensive endeavor requiring multiple measurements with a set of single-gamma-emitting standards. Modeling the total efficiency vs. energy may be less time consuming, but is also likely to produce less confidence in the final result. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Radiation Detection and Nuclear Sciences group has constructed a low background 14-crystal HPGe array for sample measurement; in all measurements, samples will be in close proximity to the germanium crystals. This close geometry and the sheer number efficiency calibrations required for the system have led us to investigate methods to simplify the efficiency calibration procedure. One method we are developing uses the Y-Y coincidence plane to isolate Compton scattering event populations, allowing experimental determination of total detection efficiency values from the measurement of a single mixed isotope standard. A description of the analysis and experimental results of this method are presented.

Tattooing has become quite popular in Western countries. With the increasing prevalence, there is also an increased risk of adverse effects. We describe a 17-year-old female patient with a black and red-colored tattoo, who developed immediately after red tattooing general malaise with fever, nausea, and vomiting. A bullous reaction was temporarily seen within the red part of her tattoo. The reaction later shifted to a subacute dermatitis with bacterial superinfection. Two months later, she felt ill again. She developed painful tender nodules on the anterior aspect of both lower legs identified as erythema nodosum without sarcoidosis. Is this is a unique case of adverse reaction to tattoo pigments with a type I and a type IV reaction, or is this a coincidence? The treatment was initiated with systemic and topical corticosteroids and topical antibiotics combined with compression bandages for the legs. After 3 weeks of treatment, the erythema nodosum completely resolved and did not reappear during a 1-year follow-up. The treatment of the local reactions, however, was unsatisfactory without complete response. There is an indispensable need for regulation of tattoo pigments and tattooing to improve consumer safety.

Full Text Available Abstract Once a virus infection establishes persistence in the central nervous system (CNS, it is especially difficult to eliminate from this specialized compartment. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to fully understand scenarios during which a persisting virus is ultimately purged from the CNS by the adaptive immune system. Such a scenario can be found following infection of adult mice with an immunosuppressive variant of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV referred to as clone 13. In this study we demonstrate that following intravenous inoculation, clone 13 rapidly infected peripheral tissues within one week, but more slowly inundated the entire brain parenchyma over the course of a month. During the establishment of persistence, we observed that genetically tagged LCMV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL progressively lost function; however, the severity of this loss in the CNS was never as substantial as that observed in the periphery. One of the most impressive features of this model system is that the peripheral T cell response eventually regains functionality at ~60–80 days post-infection, and this was associated with a rapid decline in virus from the periphery. Coincident with this "reanimation phase" was a massive influx of CD4 T and B cells into the CNS and a dramatic reduction in viral distribution. In fact, olfactory bulb neurons served as the last refuge for the persisting virus, which was ultimately purged from the CNS within 200 days post-infection. These data indicate that a functionally revived immune response can prevail over a virus that establishes widespread presence both in the periphery and brain parenchyma, and that therapeutic enhancement of an existing response could serve as an effective means to thwart long term CNS persistence.

The declared linear density of {sup 238}U and {sup 235}U in fresh low enriched uranium light water reactor fuel assemblies can be verified for nuclear safeguards purposes using a neutron coincidence counter collar in passive and active mode, respectively. The active mode calibration of the Uranium Neutron Collar – Light water reactor fuel (UNCL) instrument is normally performed using a non-linear fitting technique. The fitting technique relates the measured neutron coincidence rate (the predictor) to the linear density of {sup 235}U (the response) in order to estimate model parameters of the nonlinear Padé equation, which traditionally is used to model the calibration data. Alternatively, following a simple data transformation, the fitting can also be performed using standard linear fitting methods. This paper compares performance of the nonlinear technique to the linear technique, using a range of possible error variance magnitudes in the measured neutron coincidence rate. We develop the required formalism and then apply the traditional (nonlinear) and alternative approaches (linear) to the same experimental and corresponding simulated representative datasets. We find that, in this context, because of the magnitude of the errors in the predictor, it is preferable not to transform to a linear model, and it is preferable not to adjust for the errors in the predictor when inferring the model parameters.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We developed a new experimental set-up for e,e-coincidence experiments. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer New information on the potential curves of the final states in O{sub 2} has been extracted. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We observed new features, assigned to autoionization of neutral doubly excited states. -- Abstract: Photoelectron-Auger electron coincidence spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the investigation of Auger decay processes with different core-ionized intermediate states. In this paper we describe an investigation into the Auger decay of the O{sub 2} molecule, with the purpose of bringing new insight into the dynamics of the core hole decay mechanism. Using a novel experimental approach to measuring such coincidence spectra we report the highest resolution Auger spectrum of O{sub 2} recorded hitherto. In our approach, we have combined the advantages of these coincidence spectra with the high resolution and excellent signal-to-noise ratios of non-coincident Auger spectra and a state-of-the-art fit analysis. In this way we have derived information about the potential energy curves of the final states W {sup 3}{Delta}{sub u}, B {sup 3}{Pi}{sub g}, and B Prime {sup 3}{Sigma}{sub u}{sup -} and concluded that the corresponding Auger transitions are formed to a large part by strongly overlapping vibrational progressions. The present findings are compared to earlier results reported in the literature confirming some theoretical predictions.

When pulse amplitude and time stamp are recorded in list-mode time-stamping data acquisition, it is possible to correct for the system amplitude walk, typically observed as the time pickoff dependence on pulse amplitude. In this study, a method of correcting for amplitude walk during post-acquisition analysis of such list mode data is developed and demonstrated. The method is demonstrated using a simple two-channel system and a photon source capable of producing coincidence events ( 22Na). Two leading-edge discriminators, vulnerable to the amplitude walk, were used to produce the time pickoffs. The resulting corrected data show an amplitude walk less than the detector timing resolution. The method developed can be used in list-mode data acquisition systems such as medical imaging scanners or Compton scatter cameras.

A digital signal processor (DSP) based multichannel analyzer (MCA) has been developed for simultaneous acquisition of coincidence and anticoincidence {gamma}-ray spectra. The shaped pulse from the spectroscopy amplifier is digitized by a flash analog-to-digital converter and then processed by a DSP. The coincidence mode operation is implemented by an external gate signal from a coincidence module. Fundamental performance was tested using NaI(Tl) detectors and compared with that of a standard NIM module. The new MCA is currently used for in vivo neutron activation analysis. Further development is in preparation toward full digital processing, which is free from the remaining analog component, that is the spectroscopy amplifier.

In this paper we address the well-known cosmic coincidence problem in the framework of the f(T) gravity. In order to achieve this, an interaction between dark energy and dark matter is considered. A constraint equation is obtained which generates the f(T) models that do not suffer from the coincidence problem. Due to the absence of a universally accepted interaction term introduced by a fundamental theory, the study is conducted over three different forms of chosen interaction terms. As an illustration two widely known models of f(T) gravity are taken into consideration and used in the setup designed to study the problem. The study reveals that there exists a perfect solution for the coincidence problem in the background of the second model while the first model remains utterly plagued by the phenomenon. This not only shows the cosmological viability but also the superiority of the second model over its counterpart.

Full Text Available X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs providing ultrashort intense pulses of X-rays have proven to be excellent tools to investigate the dynamics of radiation-induced dissociation and charge redistribution in molecules and nanoparticles. Coincidence techniques, in particular multi-ion time-of-flight (TOF coincident experiments, can provide detailed information on the photoabsorption, charge generation, and Coulomb explosion events. Here we review several such recent experiments performed at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA facility in Japan, with iodomethane, diiodomethane, and 5-iodouracil as targets. We demonstrate how to utilize the momentum-resolving capabilities of the ion TOF spectrometers to resolve and filter the coincidence data and extract various information essential in understanding the time evolution of the processes induced by the XFEL pulses.

The Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Safeguards and Security (NA-241) is supporting the project Lithium-Based Alternative Neutron Detection Technology Coincidence Counting for Gd-loaded Fuels at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the development of a lithium-based neutron coincidence counter for nondestructively assaying Gd loaded nuclear fuel. This report provides results from MCNP simulations of a lithium-based coincidence counter for the possible measurement of Gd-loaded nuclear fuel. A comparison of lithium-based simulations and UNCL-II simulations with and without Gd loaded fuel is provided. A lithium-based model, referred to as PLNS3A-R1, showed strong promise for assaying Gd loaded fuel.

The method of multiparameter coincidence spectrometry based on gamma-gamma coincidence is widely used for the nuclear structure studies, because of its high sensitivity to gamma-rays. In this study, feasibility of the method of multiparameter coincidence spectrometry for analytical chemistry was examined. Two reference igneous rock samples (JP-1, JB-1a) issued by the Geological Survey of Japan were irradiated at a research reactor, and the gamma-rays from the radioisotopes produced via neutron capture reactions were measured using an array of 12 Ge detectors with BGO Compton suppressors, GEMINI. Simultaneously 24 elements were analyzed without chemical separation. The observed smallest component was Eu contained in JP-1 with abundance of 4 ppb.

We present an archival search for transient gravitational wave bursts in coincidence with 27 single pulse triggers from Green Bank Telescope pulsar surveys, using the LIGO, Virgo and GEO interferometer network. We also discuss a check for gravitational wave signals in coincidence with Parkes Fast Radio Bursts using similar methods. Data analyzed in these searches were collected between 2007 and 2013. Possible sources of emission of both short duration radio signals andtransient gravitational wave emission include starquakes on neutron stars, binary coalescence of neutron stars, and cosmic string cusps. While no evidence for gravitational wave emission in coincidence with these radio transients was found, the current analysis serves as a prototype for similar future searches using more sensitive second generation interferometers.

The Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Safeguards and Security (NA-241) is supporting the project Lithium-Based Alternative Neutron Detection Technology Coincidence Counting for Gd-loaded Fuels at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the development of a lithium-based neutron coincidence counter for nondestructively assaying Gd loaded nuclear fuel. This report provides results from MCNP simulations of a lithium-based coincidence counter for the possible measurement of Gd-loaded nuclear fuel. A comparison of lithium-based simulations and UNCL-II simulations with and without Gd loaded fuel is provided. A lithium-based model, referred to as PLNS3A-R1, showed strong promise for assaying Gd loaded fuel.

The objective of this project was to design and optimize, in simulation space, an active neutron coincidence counter (or collar) using boron-coated straws (BCSs) as a non-3He replacement to the Uranium Neutron Coincidence Collar (UNCL). UNCL has been used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) since the 1980s to verify the 235U content in fresh light water reactor fuel assemblies for safeguards purposes. This report documents the design and optimization of the BCS collar.

Prompt Gamma-Ray Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) offers a non-destructive, relatively rapid on-line method for determination of elemental composition of bulk and other samples. However, PGNAA has an inherently large background. These backgrounds are primarily due to the presence of the neutron excitation source. It also includes neutron activation of the detector and the prompt gamma rays from the structure materials of PGNAA devices. These large backgrounds limit the sensitivity and accuracy of PGNAA. Since most of the prompt gamma rays from the same element are emitted in coincidence, a possible approach for further improvement is to change the traditional PGNAA measurement technique and introduce the gamma-gamma coincidence technique. It is well known that the coincidence techniques can eliminate most of the interference backgrounds and improve the signal-to-noise ratio. A new Monte Carlo code, CEARCPG has been developed at CEAR to simulate gamma-gamma coincidence spectra in PGNAA experiment. Compared to the other existing Monte Carlo code CEARPGA I and CEARPGA II, a new algorithm of sampling the prompt gamma rays produced from neutron capture reaction and neutron inelastic scattering reaction, is developed in this work. All the prompt gamma rays are taken into account by using this new algorithm. Before this work, the commonly used method is to interpolate the prompt gamma rays from the pre-calculated gamma-ray table. This technique works fine for the single spectrum. However it limits the capability to simulate the coincidence spectrum. The new algorithm samples the prompt gamma rays from the nucleus excitation scheme. The primary nuclear data library used to sample the prompt gamma rays comes from ENSDF library. Three cases are simulated and the simulated results are benchmarked with experiments. The first case is the prototype for ETI PGNAA application. This case is designed to check the capability of CEARCPG for single spectrum simulation. The second

Full Text Available We introduced n-tupled coincidence point for a pair of maps T:Xn→X and A:X→X in Menger space. Utilizing the properties of the pseudometric and the triangular norm, we will establish n-tupled coincidence point theorems under weak compatibility as well as n-tupled fixed point theorems for hybrid probabilistic ψ-contractions with a gauge function. Our main results do not require the conditions of continuity and monotonicity of ψ. At the end of this paper, an example is given to support our main theorem.

Earth's modern ocean-climate system is largely defined by the presence of glacial ice on landmasses in both hemispheres. Northern Hemisphere ice was previously thought to have formed no earlier than the Miocene or Oligocene, about 20-30 million years after the widespread onset of Antarctic glaciation at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. Controversially, the episodic presence of seasonal Arctic sea ice and glacial ice in the Northern Hemisphere beginning in the early Oligocene to Middle Eocene has been inferred from multiple observations. Here we use precise source determinations based on geochemical measurements of ice-rafted debris (IRD) from an ODP core in the Greenland Sea (75° N) to constrain glacial ice and sea ice-rafting in the Northern Hemisphere during the middle Eocene through early Oligocene. The chemical fingerprint of 2,334 detrital Fe oxide grains indicates most of these grains are from Greenland with >98% certainty. Thus the coarse IRD in the Greenland Sea originates from widespread areas of east Greenland as far south as the Denmark Strait area (~68° N), with additional IRD sources from the circum-Arctic Ocean. This is the first definitive evidence that mid-Eocene IRD in the Greenland Sea is from Greenland. Episodic glaciation of different source regions on Greenland is synchronous with times of ice-rafting in the western Arctic and ephemeral perennial Arctic ice cover. Intervals of bipolar glacial ice storage in the middle Eocene through early Oligocene coincide with evidence for periods of reduced CO2, associated with carbon cycle perturbations.

At LNE-LNHB, a liquid scintillation (LS) detection setup designed for Triple to Double Coincidence Ratio (TDCR) measurements is also used in the β-channel of a 4π(LS)β-γ coincidencesystem. This LS counter based on 3 photomultipliers was first modeled using the Monte Carlo code Geant4 to enable the simulation of optical photons produced by scintillation and Cerenkov effects. This stochastic modeling was especially designed for the calculation of double and triple coincidences between photomultipliers in TDCR measurements. In the present paper, this TDCR-Geant4 model is extended to 4π(LS)β-γ coincidence counting to enable the simulation of the efficiency-extrapolation technique by the addition of a γ-channel. This simulation tool aims at the prediction of systematic biases in activity determination due to eventual non-linearity of efficiency-extrapolation curves. First results are described in the case of the standardization (59)Fe. The variation of the γ-efficiency in the β-channel due to the Cerenkov emission is investigated in the case of the activity measurements of (54)Mn. The problem of the non-linearity between β-efficiencies is featured in the case of the efficiency tracing technique for the activity measurements of (14)C using (60)Co as a tracer.

The use of Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) as a fundamental radionuclide standardisation method requires a correct description of the physical phenomena occurring during the LSC process. In that framework, a special point of interest is the description of the liquid scintillator response, especially for low-energy electrons, in a region where this response is known to be non-linear. As there is no simple way to produce monoenergetic electrons in the liquid scintillator, we have simulated these electrons using a Compton interaction coincidence method. Due to the energy conservation law, the selection of the energy of the scattered Compton X-ray photon is equivalent to the selection of the energy of a monoenergetic electron. This paper describes the experimental system and the methods used to analyse the experimental results in order to deduce the statistical distribution of the photons emitted by the scintillator. The effects of some artefacts are discussed, including the accidental coincidences and the influence of cascade Compton interactions. ((orig.))

In this article we address the well-known cosmic coincidence problem in the framework of the f(G) gravity. In order to achieve this, an interaction between dark energy and dark matter is considered. A set-up is designed and a constraint equation is obtained which generates the f(G) models that do not suffer from the coincidence problem. Due to the absence of a universally accepted interaction term introduced by a fundamental theory, the study is conducted over three different forms of logically chosen interaction terms. To illustrate the set-up three widely known models of f(G) gravity are taken into consideration and the problem is studied under the designed set-up. The study reveals that the popular f(G) gravity models does not approve of a satisfactory solution of the long standing coincidence problem, thus proving to be a major setback for them as successful models of universe. Finally, two non-conventional models of f(G) gravity have been proposed and studied in the framework of the designed set-up. It is seen that a complete solution of the coincidence problem is achieved for these models. The study also reveals that the 'b-interaction' term is much more preferable compared to the other interactions, due to its greater compliance with the recent observational data.

When two identical visual discs move toward each other on a two-dimensional visual display, they can be perceived as either "streaming through" or "bouncing off" each other after their coincidence. Previous studies have observed a strong bias toward the streaming percept. Additionally, the incidence of the bouncing percept in this ambiguous display could be increased by various factors, such as a brief sound at the moment of coincidence and a momentary pause of the two discs. The streaming/bouncing bistable motion phenomenon has been studied intensively since its discovery. However, little is known regarding the neural basis underling the perceptual ambiguity in the classic version of the streaming/bouncing motion display. The present study investigated the neural basis of the perception disambiguating underling the processing of the streaming/bouncing bistable motion display using event-related potential (ERP) recordings. Surprisingly, the amplitude of frontal central P2 (220-260 ms) that was elicited by the moving discs ~200 ms before the coincidence of the two discs was observed to be predictive of subsequent streaming or bouncing percept. A larger P2 amplitude was observed for streaming percept than the bouncing percept. These findings suggest that the streaming/bouncing bistable perception may have been disambiguated unconsciously ~200 ms before the coincidence of the two discs.

This article examines the relationship between writing and attention problems and hypothesizes that homophone spelling errors coincide with attention deficits. We analyze specific types of attention deficits, which may contribute to Attention Deficits Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); rather than studying ADHD, however, we focus on the inattention…

Full Text Available In the setting of Banach spaces, some results on the existence of coincidence and common fixed points for single-valued and multivalued non-commuting maps with and without contractive type conditions are obtained.

Assuming that the Principle of energy conservation holds for coincident-frequency entangled photons propagating in a homogeneous gravitational field. It is argued that in this physical context, either Quantum entanglement or the weak equivalence principle are broken by the photons.

Objective. Metformin has been associated with the serious side-effect lactic acidosis. However, it remains unclear whether the use of metformin was a cause or a coincidence in lactic acidosis. Design. A literature search of the Index Medicus (1959-66) and of the databases Embase, Medline, Medline Ex

Full Text Available This paper has three main contributions. The first is to propose an individual coincident indicator for the following Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. In order to obtain similar series to those traditionally used in business-cycle research in constructing coincident indices (output, sales, income and employment we were forced to back-cast several individual country series which were not available in a long time-series span. The second contribution is to establish a chronology of recessions for these countries, covering the period from 1980 to 2012 on a monthly basis. Based on this chronology, the countries are compared in several respects. The final contribution is to propose an aggregate coincident indicator for the Latin American economy, which weights individual-country composite indices. Finally, this indicator is compared with the coincident indicator (The Conference Board - TCB of the U.S. economy. We find that the U.S. indicator Granger-causes the Latin American indicator in statistical tests

Objective. Metformin has been associated with the serious side-effect lactic acidosis. However, it remains unclear whether the use of metformin was a cause or a coincidence in lactic acidosis. Design. A literature search of the Index Medicus (1959-66) and of the databases Embase, Medline, Medline

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave (GW) bursts associated with high energy neutrinos (HEN), detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 lines configuration, during the fifth LIGO science run and first Virgo science run. The data used in this analysis were collected from February 9 to September 30 2007. Cataclysmic cosmic events with burst activity can be plausible sources of concomitant GW and HEN. Such messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, in particular at high energy. In a first stage of the analysis, HEN candidates, detected during the operation of the ANTARES Telescope were selected. In a second stage, GW candidates in time and space correlation with the HEN events were searched for in LIGO and Virgo data. During this first joint GW+HEN search, no coincident event was observed. We set limits on the population density of different types of concurrent GW-HEN sources. For short GRB-like sources, related to the merger of two compact objects, the density upper limit is {rho}{sub GW-HEN}{sup SGRB} systems of (1.35-1.35)M{sub s}un and black hole- neutron star systems of (5-1.35)M{sub s}un up to distances that are typically of 5 Mpc and 10 Mpc respectively. For generic waveform limits in the low frequency band typical distance limits can be as high as

We report the development of a new three-dimensional (3D) momentum-imaging setup based on conventional velocity map imaging to achieve the coincidence measurement of photoelectrons and photo-ions. This setup uses only one imaging detector (microchannel plates (MCP)/phosphor screen) but the voltages on electrodes are pulsed to push both electrons and ions toward the same detector. The ion-electron coincidence is achieved using two cameras to capture images of ions and electrons separately. The time-of-flight of ions and electrons are read out from MCP using a digitizer. We demonstrate this new system by studying the dissociative single and double ionization of PENNA (2-phenylethyl-N,N-dimethylamine). We further show that the camera-based 3D imaging system can operate at 10 kHz repetition rate.

Positron emission tomography (PET) permits a functional understanding of the underlying causes of many diseases. Modern whole-body PET systems reach a spatial resolution of 2-6 mm (FWHM). A limitation of this technique occurs from the thermalization and diffusion of the positron before its annihilation, typically within the mm range. We present a nuclear medical imaging technique, able to reach sub-millimeter spatial resolution in 3 dimensions with a reduced effective dose application compared to conventional PET. This 'gamma-PET' technique draws on specific medical isotopes, simultaneously emitting an additional photon accompanying the beta^+ decay. Exploiting the triple coincidence between the positron annihilation and the third photon, it is possible to separate the reconstructed 'true' events from background. In order to characterize the potential of this technique, MC simulations and image reconstructions have been performed. The achievable spatial resolution has been found to reach ca. 0.4 mm (FWHM) in ...

A study of the kinematics of the {alpha} -d coincidences in the {sup 6}Li+{sup 59}Co system at a bombarding energy of E{sub lab}=29.6 MeV is presented. With exclusive measurements performed over different angular intervals it is possible to identify the respective contributions of the sequential and direct projectile breakup components. The angular distributions of both breakup components are fairly well described by the Continuum-Discretized Coupled-Channels framework (CDCC). Furthermore, a careful analysis of these processes using a semiclassical approach provides information on both their lifetime and their distance of occurrence with respect to the target. Breakup to the low-lying (near-threshold) continuum is delayed, and happens at large internuclear distances. This suggests that the influence of the projectile breakup on the complete fusion process can be related essentially to the direct breakup to the {sup 6}Li high-lying continuum spectrum. (orig.)

Full Text Available New patterns of steady-state chemical kinetics for continuously stirred-tank reactors (CSTR have been found, i.e., intersections, maxima and coincidences, for two-step mechanism A↔B→C. There were found elegant analytical relationships for characteristics of these patterns (space times, values of concentrations and rates allowing kinetic parameters to be easily determined. It was demonstrated that for the pair of species involved into the irreversible reaction (B and C, the space time of their corresponding concentration dependence intersection is invariant and does not depend on the initial conditions of the system. Maps of patterns are presented for visualization of their combinations and ranking in space time, and values of concentration and rates.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The objective of the proposed research is to develop and test a prototype of an innovative and simple detector technique to identify moderate energy (a few MeV)...

The Spaladin installation has been designed to study spallation reactions in reverse kinematics. Furthermore, the heavy and light fragments are detected by coincidence which allows us to get an instantaneous picture of the reaction at a level of accuracy better than that obtained through inclusive measurement. The first part is dedicated to the theoretical description of the different mechanisms involved in the spallation reactions. In the second part we describe the Spaladin installation and report some results on the reaction: Fe{sup 56} + p at an energy of 1 GeV/nucleon. In the third part we expose the performance of the installation through its simulation with the Geant-IV model. We present a study about the sensitivity of the Spaladin installation to theoretical predictions. The fourth part is dedicated to the future experiments that will be performed with the Spaladin installation. (A.C.)

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 1953, through the cooperation of state and local health departments, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC has collected information on incident cases of tuberculosis (TB disease in the United States. In 2009, TB case rates declined -11.4%, compared to an average annual -3.8% decline since 2000. The unexpectedly large decline raised concerns that TB cases may have gone unreported. To address the unexpected decline, we examined trends from multiple sources on TB treatment initiation, medication sales, and laboratory and genotyping data on culture-positive TB. Methods We analyzed 142,174 incident TB cases reported to the U. S. National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS during January 1, 2000-December 31, 2009; TB control program data from 59 public health reporting areas; self-reported data from 50 CDC-funded public health laboratories; monthly electronic prescription claims for new TB therapy prescriptions; and complete genotyping results available for NTSS cases. Accounting for prior trends using regression and time-series analyses, we calculated the deviation between observed and expected TB cases in 2009 according to patient and clinical characteristics, and assessed at what point in time the deviation occurred. Results The overall deviation in TB cases in 2009 was -7.9%, with -994 fewer cases reported than expected (P Conclusions Our assessments show that the decline in reported TB was not an artifact of changes in surveillance methods; rather, similar declines were found through multiple data sources. While the steady decline of TB cases before 2009 suggests ongoing improvement in TB control, we were not able to identify any substantial change in TB control activities or TB transmission that would account for the abrupt decline in 2009. It is possible that other multiple causes coincident with economic recession in the United States, including decreased immigration and delayed access to

Full Text Available The subject of this essay is too complex a problem as to cover all details in depth and, thus, draws its attention only to core aspects of the handling of coincidence leaving out sophisticated studies and analytic findings as well as detailed reference to economic literature though there is not very much. On the other hand, for a lot of actual as well as general reasons, the subject is too important a matter as to ignore the serious methodological problems of crisis management, which are rooted in some politically still active bias hidden in orthodox neo-classical economics (Stiglitz 2010. If crisis management continues to follow traditional rationales, it will fail realizing the increasing dynamic of crises within the globalising economies of the world. No existing economy can be considered as an isolated system of its own embedded in a stable composition of societal surroundings. Obviously, many a critical situation has its origin in the sphere of civilization, of political discrepancies, and of administrative inflexibilities. On the other hand, any grave amplitude of markets would touch the entire social surrounding. The belief in the markets’ strength of self-regulation is a dangerous construction of orthodox economics (Bendixen 2009b, 2010. The view on crises suggested here is that of a holistic approach to understand a critical situation. Any interpretation of a situation includes empirical dates and figures based on analytic research, but solving a problem is not an act of logical derivation from findings, as if a solution can be excavated in the mud of reality by empirical studies only. Empirical figures report events of the past; the future does not reveal any empiricism. This would be a contradiction in itself. The end of a crisis as well as the search for solutions to fight the problems revealed is unavoidably a view into the future. Therefore, the rationale of crisis management cannot be made of pure empiricism but should include a

A full scale thermal neutron coincidence counter (High Level Neutron Counter – Boron: HLNB) based on 3He alternative detection technology was designed and built at LANL and field tested at Plutonium Conversion Development Facility (PCDF) of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) during FY15. HLNB is based on boron-lined proportional plates that replace the traditional 3He proportional tubes and was designed as a direct alternative to 3He-based High Level Neutron Coincidence Counter (HLNC-II). During the JAEA field trial the HLNB demonstrated comparable performance to HLNC-II, which represents a key development in the area of 3He alternative technologies and provides a complete demonstration of the technology for nuclear safeguards applications including high mass MOX samples.

The nuclide 18F disintegrates to 18O by beta+ emission (96.86%) and electron capture (3.14%) with a half-life of 1.8288 h. It is widely used in nuclear medicine for positron emission tomography (PET). Because of its short half-life this nuclide requires the development of fast measuring methods to be standardized. The combination of LSC methods with digital techniques proves to be a good alternative to get low uncertainties for this, and other, short lived nuclides. A radioactive solution of 18F has been standardized by coincidence counting with a LSC, using the logical sum of double coincidences in a TDCR array and a NaI scintillation detector. The results show good consistency with other techniques like 4Pi gamma and LSC.

A coincidence between the 22S1/2-32S1/2 two-photon transition in the atomic spectrum of 6Li and the X 1Σ+g→ E 1Σ+g two-photon ro-vibrational series of 7Li2 was observed near 735 nm in a heat pipe oven using a tunable laser and thermionic diode detection scheme. The molecular transition obscures one component of the 6Li atomic transition. Selective detection of the atomic transition was obtained by adding an intensity-modulated laser that drives atoms from the 3S to 16P state. The coincident molecular transition and four nearby molecular lines were identified using previously determined Dunham coefficients.

Full Text Available Compositions represented by geometrical graphic models of circular and elliptical shapes enjoy wide application in architectural and interior design. The research of variations of coincidences of circles and ellipses is a relevant subject of exploration. In the paper, the authors analyze some of the multiplicity of coincidences, and an example of their practical implementation (a church dome model. The section of an object is "amalgamated" into the architectural concept of the structure, the relief and theological ideas. Geometric interlinks, compositions and figurations of interconnected diameters, circular and elliptical arcs, their tangency, incidences and interspaces have always been of interest to researchers; they have triggered the search for harmonious and rational solutions in civil engineering and architecture. Advancements in theoretical geometrography and its software applications facilitate new solutions.

A method of producing semiconductor materials and devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials are provided. In particular, a method is provided of producing a semiconductor material, such as a III-V semiconductor, on a silicon substrate using a compliant buffer layer, and devices such as photovoltaic cells that incorporate the semiconductor materials. The compliant buffer material and semiconductor materials may be deposited using coincident site lattice-matching epitaxy, resulting in a close degree of lattice matching between the substrate material and deposited material for a wide variety of material compositions. The coincident site lattice matching epitaxial process, as well as the use of a ductile buffer material, reduce the internal stresses and associated crystal defects within the deposited semiconductor materials fabricated using the disclosed method. As a result, the semiconductor devices provided herein possess enhanced performance characteristics due to a relatively low density of crystal defects.

Full Text Available Ozone measurements from ozonesondes, AROTAL, DIAL, and POAM III instruments during the SOLVE-2/VINTERSOL period are composited in a time-varying, flow-following quasi-conservative (PV-θ coordinate space; the resulting composites from each instrument are mapped onto the other instruments' locations and times. The mapped data are then used to intercompare data from the different instruments. Overall, the four ozone data sets are found to be in good agreement. AROTAL shows somewhat lower values below 16 km, and DIAL has a positive bias at the upper limits of its altitude range. These intercomparisons are consistent with those obtained from more conventional near-coincident profiles, where available. Although the PV-θ mapping technique entails larger uncertainties of individual profile differences compared to direct near-coincident comparisons, the ability to include much larger numbers of comparisons can make this technique advantageous.

In the fall of 2015 the first scientific observing run (O1) of the advanced LIGO detectors will be conducted. Based on the recent commissioning progress at the LIGO Hanford and Livingston sites, the gravitational wave detector range for a neutron star binary inspiral is expected to be of order 60 Mpc. We describe here our planning for an O1 search for coincidence between a LIGO gravitational wave detection and a gamma-ray signal from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. Such a coincidence would constitute measurement of an electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal, with significant corresponding scientific benefits, including revealing the central engine powering the gamma-ray burst, enhanced confidence in the event as a genuine astrophysical detection, and a determination of the relative speed of the photon and graviton.

A method for measuring weak capture-gamma-ray resonances via gamma gamma-coincidence counting techniques is described. The coincidence apparatus consisted of a large-volume germanium detector and an annular NaI(Tl) crystal. The setup was tested by measuring the weak E sub R =227 keV resonance in sup 2 sup 6 Mg(p,gamma) sup 2 sup 7 Al. Absolute germanium and NaI(Tl) counting efficiencies for a range of gamma-ray energies and for different detector-target geometries are presented. Studies of the gamma-ray background in our spectra are described. Compared to previous work, our method improves the detection sensitivity for weak capture-gamma-ray resonances by a factor of approx 100. The usefulness of the present technique for investigations of interest to nuclear astrophysics is discussed.

The combined setup SONIC and HORUS consists of the γ-ray spectrometer HORUS with 14 HPGe detectors and the recently commissioned particle spectrometer SONIC with up to 8 ΔE-E silicon detectors. This setup is used to measure the ejectile of a nuclear reaction (p, d, t, or α) in coincidence with the deexciting γ rays emitted by the recoil nucleus. By requiring a certain ejectile energy (e.g. the excitation of a level), a very clean γ spectrum is obtained, in which only physically related events remain. Measuring the angular correlations between the coincident ejectiles and γ-rays allows spin assignments to excited nuclear levels by comparison to theoretical particle-γ angular correlations. An overview of the experimental setup is given, and preliminary p-γ angular correlations measured in a recent {sup 92}Mo(p,p'γ) experiment are shown.

We present results of a multicoincident experiment where the multiple ionization of selected rare gases after collisions with 115 MeV S/sup Q+/ ions (Q = 13, 15, 16) was studied. In this work we have measured the charge state of the collisionally ionized target atom in simultaneous coincidence with the final charge state of the projectile ion and with a projectile K X-ray. For events proceeding through single electron capture, the coincidence conditions allowed us to distinguish events where capture is allowed to populate the projectile K shell, from whose where capture populates only higher excited states in the projectile. Changes in the degree of multiple ionization of the ionized target atoms were observed in one case with respect to the other. (orig.).

Pulse shape analysis determines if two radiations are in coincidence. A transducer is provided that, when it absorbs the first radiation produces an output pulse that is characterized by a shorter time constant and whose area is nominally proportional to the energy of the absorbed first radiation and, when it absorbs the second radiation produces an output pulse that is characterized by a longer time constant and whose area is nominally proportional to the energy of the absorbed second radiation. When radiation is absorbed, the output pulse is detected and two integrals are formed, the first over a time period representative of the first time constant and the second over a time period representative of the second time constant. The values of the two integrals are examined to determine whether the first radiation, the second radiation, or both were absorbed in the transducer, the latter condition defining a coincident event.

Network data analysis methods are the only way to properly separate real gravitational wave (GW) transient events from detector noise. They can be divided into two generic classes: the coincidence method and the coherent analysis. The former uses lists of selected events provided by each interferometer belonging to the network and tries to correlate them in time to identify a physical signal. Instead of this binary treatment of detector outputs (signal present or absent), the latter method involves first the merging of the interferometer data and looks for a common pattern, consistent with an assumed GW waveform and a given source location in the sky. The thresholds are only applied later, to validate or not the hypothesis made. As coherent algorithms use a more complete information than coincidence methods, they are expected to provide better detection performances, but at a higher computational cost. An efficient filter must yield a good compromise between a low false alarm rate (hence triggering on data at...

We demonstrate the detection of high-lying Rydberg states produced in strong laser fields with coincidence spectroscopy. Electron emission after the interaction of strong laser pulses with atoms and molecules is measured together with the parent ions in coincidence measurements. These electrons originate from high-lying Rydberg states with quantum numbers from n ˜20 up to n ≲120 formed by frustrated field ionization. Ionization rates are retrieved from the measured ionization signal of these Rydberg states. Simulations show that both tunneling ionization by a weak dc field and photoionization by blackbody radiation contribute to delayed electron emission on the nano- to microsecond scale. Furthermore, the dependence of the Rydberg-state production on the ellipticity of the driving laser field indicates that such high-lying Rydberg states are populated through electron recapture. The present experiment provides detailed quantitative information on Rydberg production in strong-field interaction.

For the investigation of photoinduced dynamics in molecules with time-resolved pump-probe photoionization spectroscopy, it is essential to obtain unequivocal information about the fragmentation behavior induced by the laser pulses. We present time-resolved photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) experiments to investigate the excited-state dynamics of isolated acetone molecules triggered by two-photon (269 nm) excitation. In the complex situation of different relaxation pathways, we unambiguously identify three distinct pump-probe ionization channels. The high selectivity of PEPICO detection allows us to observe the fragmentation behavior and to follow the time evolution of each channel separately. For channels leading to fragment ions, we quantitatively obtain the fragment-to-parent branching ratio and are able to determine experimentally whether dissociation occurs in the neutral molecule or in the parent ion. These results highlight the importance of coincidence detection for the interpretation of time-resolved photochemical relaxation and dissociation studies if multiple pathways are present.

We have accurately determined U-chain concentration in a detector by means of the beta-alpha delayed coincidence method. This method can measure the radioactivity of the order of 10 sup - sup 7 Bq/kg. It corresponds to the concentration of the order of 0.01 ppt under the assumption that the U-chain is in the secular radioactive equilibrium, by a signal-to-noise ratio of one to one.

Christian Beck has proposed a set of Shannon-Khinchin axioms to derive a formula for the cosmological constant, {\\Lambda}. We discuss this result in relation to numerical coincidences involving the measured values of {\\Lambda} and the gravitational and fine structure constants, G and {\\alpha}. The empirical formulae that inter-relate the three constants suggest that the measured values of G and {\\Lambda} are consistent with the apparent anthropic fine-tuning of {\\alpha}.

In order to vary the counting efficiencies in the 4pibeta-gamma coincidence extrapolation technique, a radioactive source was coated directly with varying amounts of an electrical conducting pigment using an ink-jet printer. This method can be used to efficiently prepare the multiple sources needed to generate efficiency extrapolation curves, and was successfully applied to the standardization of a (54)Mn source.

Neurons of the owl's nucleus laminaris serve as coincidence detectors for measurement of interaural time difference. The discharge rate of nucleus laminaris neurons for both monaural and binaural stimulation increased with sound intensity until they reached an asymptote. Intense sounds affected neither the ratio between binaural and monaural responses nor the interaural time difference for which nucleus laminaris neurons were selective. Theoretical analysis showed that high afferent discharge...

In this paper we present some new matching theorems with open cover and closed cover by using the generalized R-KKM theorems [L. Deng, X. Xia, Generalized R-KKM theorem in topological space and their applications, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 285 (2003) 679-690] in the topological spaces with property (H). As applications, some coincidence theorems are established in topological spaces. Our results extend and generalize some known results.

A Search for Extraterrestrial Life (SETI), based on the possibility of interstellar communication via laser signals, is being designed to extend the search into the near-infrared spectral region (Wright et al, this conference). The dedicated near-infrared (900 to 1700 nm) instrument takes advantage of a new generation of avalanche photodiodes (APD), based on internal discrete amplification. These discrete APD (DAPD) detectors have a high speed response (laser light pulse detection in our experiment. These criteria are defined to optimize the trade between high detection efficiency and low false positive coincident signals, which can be produced by detector dark noise, background light, cosmic rays, and astronomical sources. We investigate experimentally how false coincidence rates depend on the number of detectors in parallel, and on the signal pulse height and width. We also look into the corresponding threshold to each of the signals to optimize the sensitivity while also reducing the false coincidence rates. Lastly, we discuss the analytical solution used to predict the probability of laser pulse detection with multiple detectors.

In this article we address the well-known cosmic coincidence problem in the framework of the f(G) gravity. In order to achieve this, an interaction between dark energy and dark matter is considered. A set-up is designed and a constraint equation is obtained which generates the f(G) models that do not suffer from the coincidence problem. Due to the absence of a universally accepted interaction term introduced by a fundamental theory, the study is conducted over three different forms of logically chosen interaction terms. To illustrate the set-up three widely known models of f(G) gravity are taken into consideration and the problem is studied under the designed set-up. The study reveals that the popular f(G) gravity models does not approve of a satisfactory solution of the long standing coincidence problem, thus proving to be a major setback for them as successful models of universe. Finally, two non-conventional models of f(G) gravity have been proposed and studied in the framework of the designed set-up. It i...

Freeman, Kathryn M. [Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, One College Street, Worcester, MA 01610-2395 (United States); Hoffmann, George R. [Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, One College Street, Worcester, MA 01610-2395 (United States)]. E-mail: ghoffmann@holycross.edu

2007-03-01

Frequencies of coincident genetic events were measured in strain D7 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This diploid strain permits the detection of mitotic gene conversion involving the trp5-12 and trp5-27 alleles, mitotic crossing-over and gene conversion leading to the expression of the ade2-40 and ade2-119 alleles as red and pink colonies, and reversion of the ilv1-92 allele. The three genes are on different chromosomes, and one might expect that coincident (simultaneous) genetic alterations at two loci would occur at frequencies predicted by those of the single alterations acting as independent events. Contrary to this expectation, we observed that ade2 recombinants induced by bleomycin, {beta}-propiolactone, and ultraviolet radiation occur more frequently among trp5 convertants than among total colonies. This excess among trp5 recombinants indicates that double recombinants are more common than expected for independent events. No similar enrichment was found among Ilv{sup +} revertants. The possibility of an artifact in which haploid yeasts that mimic mitotic recombinants are generated by a low frequency of cryptic meiosis has been excluded. Several hypotheses that can explain the elevated incidence of coincident mitotic recombination have been evaluated, but the cause remains uncertain. Most evidence suggests that the excess is ascribable to a subset of the population being in a recombination-prone state.

The radiation of a lineage and its rise to ecological dominance are distinct phenomena and driven by different processes. For example, paleoecological data has been used to show that the Cretaceous angiosperm radiation did not coincide with their rise to dominance. Using a phylogenetic approach, we here explored the evolution of C4 grasses and evaluated whether the diversification of this group and its rise to ecological dominance in the late Miocene were decoupled. We assembled a matrix including 675 grass species of the PACMAD clade and 2784 characters (ITS and ndhF) to run a molecular dating analysis using three fossils as reference calibrations. We coded species as C3 vs. C4 and reconstructed ancestral states under maximum likelihood. We used the program BiSSE to test whether rates of diversification are correlated with photosynthetic pathway and whether the radiation of C4 lineages preceded or coincided with their rise to ecological dominance from ∼10 Ma. C4 grass lineages first originated around 35 Ma at the time of the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Accelerated diversification of C4 lineages did not coincide with their rise to ecological dominance. C4-dominated grasslands have expanded only since the Late Miocene and Pliocene. The initial diversification of their biotic elements can be tracked back as far as the Eocene-Oligocene transition. We suggest that shifts in taxonomic diversification and ecological dominance were stimulated by different factors, as in the case of the early angiosperms in the Cretaceous.

The vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) beamline of the Swiss Light Source has been upgraded after two years of operation. A new, turntable-type monochromator was constructed at the Paul Scherrer Institut, which allows for fast yaw-alignment as well as quick grating change and exchange. In addition to the original imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence endstation (iPEPICO), a second, complementary double imaging setup (i{sup 2}PEPICO) has been built. Volatile samples can be introduced at room temperature or in a molecular beam, a pyrolysis source allows for radical production, and non-volatile solids can be evaporated in a heated cell. Monochromatic VUV radiation ionizes the sample and both photoelectrons and photoions are velocity map imaged onto two fast position sensitive detectors and detected in delayed coincidence. High intensity synchrotron radiation leads to ionization rates above 10{sup 5} s{sup -1}. New data acquisition and processing approaches are discussed for recording coincidence processes at high rates. The setup is capable of resolving pulsed molecular beam profiles and the synchrotron time structure temporally. The latter is shown by photoelectron autocorrelation, which displays both the 1.04 MHz ring clock frequency as well as resolving the micro-pulses with a separation of 2 ns. Kinetic energy release analysis on the dissociative photoionization of CF{sub 4} indicates a dissociation mechanism change in the Franck-Condon allowed energy range of the first ion state.

Microcalorimeters onboard future x-ray observatories require an anticoincidence detector to remove environmental backgrounds. In order to most effectively integrate this anti-coincidence detector with the main microcalorimeter array, both instruments should use similar read-out technology. The detectors used in the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) use a phonon measurement technique that is well suited for an anti-coincidence detector with a microcalorimeter array using SQUID readout. This technique works by using a transition-edge sensor (TES) connected to superconducting collection fins to measure the athermal phonon signal produced when an event occurs in the substrate crystal. Energy from the event propagates through the crystal to the superconducting collection fins, creating quasiparticles, which are then trapped as they enter the TES where they produce a signal. We are currently developing a prototype anti-coincidence detector for future x-ray missions and have recently fabricated test devices with Mo/Au TESs and Al collection fins. We present results from the first tests of these devices which indicate a proof of concept that quasiparticle trapping is occurring in these materials.

Random coincidences degrade the image in Positron Emission Tomography, PET. To compensate for their degradation effects, the rate of random coincidences should be estimated. Under certain circumstances, current estimation methods fail to provide accurate results. We propose a novel method, “Singles–Prompts” (SP), that includes the information conveyed by prompt coincidences and models the pile–up. The SP method has the same structure than the well-known “Singles Rate” (SR) approach. Hence, SP can straightforwardly replace SR. In this work, the SP method has been extensively assessed and compared to two conventional methods, SR and the delayed window (DW) method, in a preclinical PET scenario using Monte–Carlo simulations. SP offers accurate estimates for the randoms rates, while SR and DW tend to overestimate the rates (∼10%, and 5%, respectively). With pile-up, the SP method is more robust than SR (but less than DW). At the image level, the contrast is overestimated in SR-corrected images, +16%, while SP produces the correct value. Spill–over is slightly reduced using SP instead of SR. The DW images values are similar to those of SP except for low-statistic scenarios, where DW behaves as if randoms were not compensated for. In particular, the contrast is reduced, −16%. In general, the better estimations of SP translate into better image quality. PMID:27603143

We compare two strategies of multi-detector detection of compact binary inspiral signals, namely, the coincidence and the coherent. For simplicity we consider here two identical detectors having the same power spectral density of noise, that of initial LIGO, located in the same place and having the same orientation. We consider the cases of independent noise as well as that of correlated noise. The coincident strategy involves separately making two candidate event lists, one for each detector, and from these choosing those pairs of events from the two lists which lie within a suitable parameter window, which then are called as coincidence detections. The coherent strategy on the other hand involves combining the data phase coherently, so as to obtain a single network statistic which is then compared with a single threshold. Here we attempt to shed light on the question as to which strategy is better. We compare the performances of the two methods by plotting the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) for th...

The corrections for true-coincidence effects in HpGe detector are important, especially at low source-to-detector distances. This work established an approach to calculate the true-coincidence effects experimentally for HpGe detectors of type Canberra GC3018 and Ortec GEM25-76-XLB-C, which are in operation at neutron activation analysis lab in Malaysian Nuclear Agency (NM). The correction for true-coincidence effects was performed close to detector at distances 2 and 5 cm using {sup 57}Co, {sup 60}Co, {sup 133}Ba and {sup 137}Cs as standard point sources. The correction factors were ranged between 0.93-1.10 at 2 cm and 0.97-1.00 at 5 cm for Canberra HpGe detector; whereas for Ortec HpGe detector ranged between 0.92-1.13 and 0.95-100 at 2 and 5 cm respectively. The change in efficiency calibration curve of the detector at 2 and 5 cm after correction was found to be less than 1%. Moreover, the polynomial parameters functions were simulated through a computer program, MATLAB in order to find an accurate fit to the experimental data points.

Studying event time series is a powerful concept for analyzing the dynamics of complex dynamical systems in many fields of science. Despite its relevance and wide applicability for interdisciplinary research, the statistical analysis of interrelations between event time series has not received much attention in the literature so far. To this end, in this paper we develop the mathematical foundations of coincidence analysis to provide a framework for quantifying the strength, directionality and time lag of statistical interrelationships between event series. Coincidence analysis allows to formulate and test null hypotheses on the origin of the observed interrelationships including tests based on Poisson processes or, more generally, stochastic point processes with a prescribed inter-event time distribution. Applying the framework to country-level observational data yields evidence that flood events have acted as possible drivers of epidemic outbreaks globally since the 1950s. Facing projected future changes in...

Here, we provide a detailed account of novel experiments employing electron-ion coincidence imaging to discriminate chiral molecules. The full three-dimensional angular scattering distribution of electrons is measured after photoexcitation with either left or right circular polarized light. The experiment is performed using a simplified photoelectron-photoion coincidence imaging setup employing only a single particle imaging detector. Results are reported applying this technique to enantiomers of the chiral molecule camphor after three-photon ionization by circularly polarized femtosecond laser pulses at 400 nm and 380 nm. The electron-ion coincidence imaging provides the photoelectron spectrum of mass-selected ions that are observed in the time-of-flight mass spectra. The coincident photoelectron spectra of the parent camphor ion and the various fragment ions are the same, so it can be concluded that fragmentation of camphor happens after ionization. We discuss the forward-backward asymmetry in the photoelectron angular distribution which is expressed in Legendre polynomials with moments up to order six. Furthermore, we present a method, similar to one-photon electron circular dichroism, to quantify the strength of the chiral electron asymmetry in a single parameter. The circular dichroism in the photoelectron angular distribution of camphor is measured to be 8% at 400 nm. The electron circular dichroism using femtosecond multiphoton excitation is of opposite sign and about 60% larger than the electron dichroism observed before in near-threshold one-photon ionization with synchrotron excitation. We interpret our multiphoton ionization as being resonant at the two-photon level with the 3s and 3p Rydberg states of camphor. Theoretical calculations are presented that model the photoelectron angular distribution from a prealigned camphor molecule using density functional theory and continuum multiple scattering X alpha photoelectron scattering calculations

Ground, airborne and spaceborne data were collected for a 450 ha prescribed fire implemented on 18 October 2011 at the Henry W. Coe State Park in California. The integration of various data elements allowed near coincident active fire retrievals to be estimated. The Autonomous Modular Sensor-Wildfire (AMS) airborne multispectral imaging system was used as a bridge between ground and spaceborne data sets providing high quality reference information to support satellite fire retrieval error analyses and fire emissions estimates. We found excellent agreement between peak fire radiant heat flux data (less than 1% error) derived from near-coincident ground radiometers and AMS. Both MODIS and GOES imager active fire products were negatively influenced by the presence of thick smoke, which was misclassified as cloud by their algorithms, leading to the omission of fire pixels beneath the smoke, and resulting in the underestimation of their retrieved fire radiative power (FRP) values for the burn plot, compared to the reference airborne data. Agreement between airborne and spaceborne FRP data improved significantly after correction for omission errors and atmospheric attenuation, resulting in as low as 5 difference between AquaMODIS and AMS. Use of in situ fuel and fire energy estimates in combination with a collection of AMS, MODIS, and GOES FRP retrievals provided a fuel consumption factor of 0.261 kg per MJ, total energy release of 14.5 x 10(exp 6) MJ, and total fuel consumption of 3.8 x 10(exp 6) kg. Fire emissions were calculated using two separate techniques, resulting in as low as 15 difference for various species

The portable High-Level Neutron Coincidence Counter is used to assay the /sup 240/Pu-effective loading of a reference mixed-oxide fuel assembly by neutron coincidence counting. We have investigated the effects on the coincidence count rate of the total fuel loading (UO/sub 2/ + PuO/sub 2/), the fissile loading, the fuel rod diameter, and the fuel rod pattern. The coincidence count rate per gram of /sup 240/Pu-effective per centimeter is primarily dependent on the total fuel loading of the assembly; the higher the loading, the higher the coincidence count rate. Detailed procedures for the assay of mixed-oxide fuel assemblies are developed.

Over the last years interest in using time-of-flight-based Positron Emission Tomography (TOF-PET) systems has significantly increased. High time resolution in such PET systems is a powerful tool to improve signal to noise ratio and therefore to allow smaller exposure rates for patients as well as faster image reconstruction. Improvement in coincidence time resolution (CTR) in PET systems to the level of 200ps FWHM requires the optimization of all parameters in the photon detection chain influencing the time resolution: crystal, photodetector and readout electronics. After reviewing the factors influencing the time resolution of scintillators, we will present in this paper the light yield and CTR obtained for different scintillator types (LSO:Ce, LYSO:Ce, LGSO:Ce, LSO:Ce:0.4Ca, LuAG:Ce, LuAG:Pr) with different cross-sections, lengths and reflectors. Whereas light yield measurements were made with a classical PMT, all CTR tests were performed with Hamamatsu-MPPCs or SiPMs S10931-050P. The CTR measurements were ...

Marrow adipose tissue (MAT) is an endocrine organ with the potential to influence skeletal remodeling and hematopoiesis. Pathologic MAT expansion has been studied in the context of severe metabolic challenge, including caloric restriction, high fat diet feeding, and leptin deficiency. However, the rapid change in peripheral fat and glucose metabolism associated with these models impedes our ability to examine which metabolic parameters precede or coincide with MAT expansion. Microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1 (MAGP1) is a matricellular protein that influences cellular processes by tethering signaling molecules to extracellular matrix structures. MAGP1-deficient (Mfap2 (-/-)) mice display a progressive excess adiposity phenotype, which precedes insulin resistance and occurs without changes in caloric intake or ambulation. Mfap2 (-/-) mice were, therefore, used as a model to associate parameters of metabolic disease, bone remodeling, and hematopoiesis with MAT expansion. Marrow adiposity was normal in Mfap2 (-/-) mice until 6 months of age; however, by 10 months, marrow fat volume had increased fivefold relative to wild-type control at the same age. Increased gonadal fat pad mass and hyperglycemia were detectable in Mfap2 (-/-) mice by 2 months, but peaked by 6 months. The development of insulin resistance coincided with MAT expansion. Longitudinal characterization of bone mass demonstrated a disconnection in MAT volume and bone volume. Specifically, Mfap2 (-/-) mice had reduced trabecular bone volume by 2 months, but this phenotype did not progress with age or MAT expansion. Interestingly, MAT expansion in the 10-month-old Mfap2 (-/-) mice was associated with modest alterations in basal hematopoiesis, including a shift from granulopoiesis to B lymphopoiesis. Together, these findings indicate MAT expansion is coincident with insulin resistance, but not excess peripheral adiposity or hyperglycemia in Mfap2 (-/-) mice; and substantial MAT accumulation does

Phasic neurons typically fire only for a fast-rising input, say at the onset of a step current, but not for steady or slow inputs, a property associated with type III excitability. Phasic neurons can show extraordinary temporal precision for phase locking and coincidence detection. Exemplars are found in the auditory brain stem where precise timing is used in sound localization. Phasicness at the cellular level arises from a dynamic, voltage-gated, negative feedback that can be recruited subthreshold, preventing the neuron from reaching spike threshold if the voltage does not rise fast enough. We consider two mechanisms for phasicness: a low threshold potassium current (subtractive mechanism) and a sodium current with subthreshold inactivation (divisive mechanism). We develop and analyze three reduced models with either divisive or subtractive mechanisms or both to gain insight into the dynamical mechanisms for the potentially high temporal precision of type III-excitable neurons. We compare their firing properties and performance for a range of stimuli. The models have characteristic non-monotonic input-output relations, firing rate vs. input intensity, for either stochastic current injection or Poisson-timed excitatory synaptic conductance trains. We assess performance according to precision of phase-locking and coincidence detection by the models' responses to repetitive packets of unitary excitatory synaptic inputs with more or less temporal coherence. We find that each mechanism contributes features but best performance is attained if both are present. The subtractive mechanism confers extraordinary precision for phase locking and coincidence detection but only within a restricted parameter range when the divisive mechanism of sodium inactivation is inoperative. The divisive mechanism guarantees robustness of phasic properties, without compromising excitability, although with somewhat less precision. Finally, we demonstrate that brief transient inhibition if

The measurement of beta ray spectra at various work locations inside nuclear generating stations operated by Ontario Hydro is described. The measurements were carried out using an advanced coincidence telescope spectrometer using silicon detectors only. The spectrometer is capable of measuring electron energies over the range 60 keV- 2500 keV with close to 100% coincidence efficiency. Photon rejection is carried out by requiring a coincidence between either two or three silicon detectors. Monte Carlo calculations were then used to estimate beta correction factors for the LiF:Mg,Ti elements used in the Ontario Hydro thermoluminescence dosemeters. Averaging over all the measured beta correction factors for the `skin` chip (100 mg.cm{sup -2}) results in a value of 2.73 {+-} 0.77 and for the extremity dosemeter (240 mg.cm{sup -2}) an average value of 4.42 {+-} 1.17 is obtained. These values are 57% and 120% greater, respectively, than the current values used by Ontario Hydro. In addition, beta correction factors for nine representative spectra were calculated for 40 mg.cm{sup -2} chips and 20 mg.cm{sup -2} chips and the results demonstrate the benefits of decreased dosemeter thickness. The average value of the beta correction factor, as well as the spread in the beta correction factor, decreases dramatically from 4.8 {+-} 2.1 (240 mg.cm{sup -2}) to 1.29 ``1.2`` +-`` 0.1 (20 mg.cm{sup -2}). (author).

We performed whole-cell recordings from CA3 s. radiatum (R) and s. lacunosum-moleculare (L-M) interneurons in hippocampal slices to examine the temporal aspects of summation of converging perforant path (PP) and mossy fibre (MF) inputs. PP EPSPs were evoked from the s. lacunosum-moleculare in area CA1. MF EPSPs were evoked from the medial extent of the suprapyramidal blade of the dentate gyrus. Summation was strongly supralinear when examining PP EPSP with MF EPSP in a heterosynaptic pair at the 10 ms ISI, and linear to sublinear at longer ISIs. This pattern of nonlinearities suggests that R and L-M interneurons act as coincidence detectors for input from PP and MF. Summation at all ISIs was linear in voltage clamp mode demonstrating that nonlinearities were generated by postsynaptic voltage-dependent conductances. Supralinearity was not detected when the first EPSP in the pair was replaced by a simulated EPSP injected into the soma, suggesting that the conductances underlying the EPSP boosting were located in distal dendrites. Supralinearity was selectively eliminated with either Ni2+ (30 microm), mibefradil (10 microm) or nimodipine (15 microm), but was unaffected by QX-314. This pharmacological profile indicates that supralinearity is due to recruitment of dendritic T-type Ca2+channels by the first subthreshold EPSP in the pair. Results with the hyperpolarization-activated (Ih) channel blocker ZD 7288 (50 microm) revealed that Ih restricted the time course of supralinearity for coincidently summed EPSPs, and promoted linear to sublinear summation for asynchronous EPSPs. We conclude that coincidence detection results from the counterbalanced activation of T-type Ca2+ channels and inactivation of Ih.

Full Text Available The role of dendritic spiking mechanisms in neural processing is so far poorly understood. To investigate the role of calcium spikes in the functional properties of the single neuron and recurrent networks, we investigated a three compartment neuron model of the layer 5 pyramidal neuron with calcium dynamics in the distal compartment. By performing single neuron simulations with noisy synaptic input and occasional large coincident input at either just the distal compartment or at both somatic and distal compartments, we show that the presence of calcium spikes confers a substantial advantage for coincidence detection in the former case and a lesser advantage in the latter. We further show that the experimentally observed critical frequency phenomenon is not exhibited by a neuron receiving realistically noisy synaptic input, and so is unlikely to be a necessary component of coincidence detection. We next investigate the effect of calcium spikes in propagation of spiking activities in a feed-forward network embedded in a balanced recurrent network. The excitatory neurons in the network are again connected to either just the distal, or both somatic and distal compartments. With purely distal connectivity, activity propagation is stable and distinguishable for a large range of recurrent synaptic strengths if the feed-forward connections are sufficiently strong, but propagation does not occur in the absence of calcium spikes. When connections are made to both the somatic and the distal compartments, activity propagation is achieved for neurons with active calcium dynamics at a much smaller number of neurons per pool, compared to a network of passive neurons, but quickly becomes unstable as the strength of recurrent synapses increases. Activity propagation at higher scaling factors can be stabilized by increasing network inhibition or introducing short term depression in the excitatory synapses, but the signal to noise ration remains low. Our results

The differential cross sections for the reactions /sup 16/O(..pi../sup +/, ..pi../sup +/p)/sup 15/Nsup(*)(6.32 MeV) and /sup 16/O(..pi../sup +/, ..pi../sup +/n)/sup 15/Osup(*)(6.18 MeV) are measured with a 2.0 GeV/c pion beam in a ..pi../sup +/..gamma.. coincidence experiment. Calculations in the framework of the unified theory of nuclear disintegration are in qualitative agreement with the experimental data.

Coincidence Doppler spectroscopy, which is particularly powerful when one is concerned with high momentum components of positron annihilation gamma-rays, has been applied to two different kinds of organo-metallic ligands: metal phthalocyanines and metal acetylacetonates. The energy (momentum) profiles of the annihilation gamma-rays were the same for metal phthalocyanines indicating that positron and/or positronium are not interacting with the metal ions. However, the profiles for the metal acetylacetonates evidently showed a dependence on the kind of metal ions. Discussion is made on the features of positron interaction which are different for phthalocyanines and acetylacetonates.

We present an electronic cortical neuron incorporating dynamic spike threshold and active dendritic properties. The circuit is simulated using a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor SPICE model. We demonstrate that our neuron has lower spike threshold for coincident synaptic inputs; however when the synaptic inputs are not in synchrony, it requires larger depolarization to evoke the neuron to fire. We also demonstrate that a dendritic spike is key to precisely-timed input-output transformation, produces reliable firing and results in more resilience to input jitter within an individual neuron.

Full Text Available Abstract I developed Graves' Disease four months postpartum. After one year on propylthiouracil, I learned that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce inflammation associated with certain autoimmune disorders, although no investigations for thyroiditis have been reported. Within eight weeks of beginning flaxseed oil supplements, TSH levels normalized, but fell somewhat when flaxseed was decreased and PTU discontinued. During another pregnancy, plasma TSH normalized, but was again suppressed by four weeks postpartum, then undetectable by four months. This time, flaxseed supplementation alone coincided with TSH normalization. Omega-3 fatty acids should be investigated as a potential treatment for autoimmune thyroid disease.

Decaying vacuum cosmological models evolving smoothly between two extreme (very early and late time) de Sitter phases are capable to solve naturally several cosmic problems, among them: (i) the singularity, (ii) the horizon, (iii) the graceful-exit from inflation. Here we discuss a solution the coincidence problem based on a large class of running vacuum cosmologies evolving from de Sitter to de Sitter recently proposed. It is argued that even the cosmological constant problem can be solved provided that the characteristic scales of the limiting de Sitter manifolds are predicted from first principles.

For 17 days in August and September 2002, the LIGO and GEO interferometer gravitational wave detectors were operated in coincidence to produce their first data for scientific analysis. Although the detectors were still far from their design sensitivity levels, the data can be used to place better upper limits on the flux of gravitational waves incident on the earth than previous direct measurements. This paper describes the instruments and the data in some detail, as a companion to analysis papers based on the first data.

Full Text Available We consider a quintessence model of dark energy inspired by scalar-tensor theories of gravity where the scalar field is nonminimally coupled to gravity and dark matter. By considering exponential potential as self-interaction potential, the stability and existence of the critical points are discussed in details. With nonminimally coupled dark sector with gravity, we obtain scaling solutions to address the coincidence problem by considering complex velocity for dark matter. The statefinder diagnostic shows that the equation of state reaches ΛCDM model in the future.

A highly efficient, reliable, and low-cost {gamma}-{gamma} TDPAC spectrometer, PACAr, optimized for {sup 181}Hf-implanted low-activity samples, is presented. A versatile EPROM-based routing/coincidence unit was developed and implemented to be use with the memory-card-based multichannel analyzer hosted in a personal computer. The excellent energy resolution and very good overall resolution and efficiency of PACAr are analyzed and compare with advanced and already tested fast-fast and slow-fast PAC spectrometers.

On the basis of \\gamma\\gamma-coincidences recorded with two HPGe-detectors, 242 transitions were placed into the ^{152}Tb\\to^{152}Gd decay scheme, 131 of them - for the first time. Also, 46 new levels were introduced for the first time (out of 111). For a number of low-lying levels the electron capture to positron decay ratio was found. For the most of levels, their spins and parities were determined, as well as log ft's for feeding them decays.

Full Text Available This paper has three main contributions. The first is to propose an individual coincident indicator for the following Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. In order to obtain similar series to those traditionally used in business-cycle research in constructing coincident indices (output, sales, income and employment we were forced to back-cast several individual country series which were not available in a long time-series span. The second contribution is to establish a chronology of recessions for these countries, covering the period from 1980 to 2012 on a monthly basis. Based on this chronology, the countries are compared in several respects. The final contribution is to propose an aggregate coincident indicator for the Latin American economy, which weights individual-country composite indices. Finally, this indicator is compared with the coincident indicator (The Conference Board - TCB of the U.S. economy. We find that the U.S. indicator Granger-causes the Latin American indicator in statistical testsEsse artigo tem 3 contribuições à literatura de ciclos de negócios. A primeira é a de construir indicadores coincidentes de atividade econômica para Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colômbia e México, usando pesos idênticos para as séries de Emprego, Produção, Renda, e Vendas. Para tal, tivemos que fazer o back-cast de algumas séries chave para poder construir esses indicadores. A segunda é a de estabelecer uma cronologia de recessões para esses países no período 1980-2012 em bases mensais. Com base na última, fazemos comparações em várias dimensões. Finalmente, nossa última contribuição é propor um índice coincidente agregado para a América Latina, que é comparado ao índice agregado dos EUA. Esta comparação indica que o índice coincidente dos EUA Granger-causa o da América Latina, mas a recíproca não é verdadeira

The method for activity measurements of the {sup 232}Th daughters, developed at the six-crystal gamma-ray coincidence spectrometer PRIPYAT-2M and based on coincidence counting of the 583 and 2615 keV photons from cascade transitions which follow {beta}{sup -}-decay of {sup 208}Tl, as well as on counting the 911 keV photons which follow {beta}{sup -}-decay of {sup 228}Ac in the integral and non-coincidence mode of counting, is presented.

We present a simple classical (random) signal model reproducing Born's rule. The crucial point of our approach is that the presence of detector's threshold and calibration procedure have to be treated not as simply experimental technicalities, but as the basic counterparts of the theoretical model. We call this approach threshold signal detection model (TSD). The experiment on coincidence detection which was done by Grangier in 1986 [22] played a crucial role in rejection of (semi-)classical field models in favour of quantum mechanics (QM): impossibility to resolve the wave-particle duality in favour of a purely wave model. QM predicts that the relative probability of coincidence detection, the coefficient g(2) (0), is zero (for one photon states), but in (semi-)classical models g(2)(0) >= 1. In TSD the coefficient g(2)(0) decreases as 1/ɛ2d, where ɛd > 0 is the detection threshold. Hence, by increasing this threshold an experimenter can make the coefficient g(2) (0) essentially less than 1. The TSD-prediction can be tested experimentally in new Grangier type experiments presenting a detailed monitoring of dependence of the coefficient g(2)(0) on the detection threshold. Structurally our model has some similarity with the prequantum model of Grossing et al. Subquantum stochasticity is composed of the two counterparts: a stationary process in the space of internal degrees of freedom and the random walk type motion describing the temporal dynamics.

We present a simple classical (random) signal model reproducing Born's rule. The crucial point of our approach is that the presence of detector's threshold and calibration procedure have to be treated not as simply experimental technicalities, but as the basic counterparts of the theoretical model. We call this approach threshold signal detection model (TSD). The experiment on coincidence detection which was done by Grangier in 1986 \\cite{Grangier} played a crucial role in rejection of (semi-)classical field models in favor of quantum mechanics (QM): impossibility to resolve the wave-particle duality in favor of a purely wave model. QM predicts that the relative probability of coincidence detection, the coefficient $g^{(2)}(0),$ is zero (for one photon states), but in (semi-)classical models $g^{(2)}(0)\\geq 1.$ In TSD the coefficient $g^{(2)}(0)$ decreases as $1/{\\cal E}_d^2,$ where ${\\cal E}_d>0$ is the detection threshold. Hence, by increasing this threshold an experimenter can make the coefficient $g^{(2)}...

For experiments with high arrival rates, reliable identification of nearly-coincident events can be crucial. For calorimetric measurements to directly measure the neutrino mass such as HOLMES, unidentified pulse pile-ups are expected to be a leading source of experimental error. Although Wiener filtering can be used to recognize pile-up, it suffers errors due to pulse-shape variation from detector nonlinearity, readout dependence on sub-sample arrival times, and stability issues from the ill-posed deconvolution problem of recovering Dirac delta-functions from smooth data. Due to these factors, we have developed a processing method that exploits singular value decomposition to (1) separate single-pulse records from piled-up records in training data and (2) construct a model of single-pulse records that accounts for varying pulse shape with amplitude, arrival time, and baseline level, suitable for detecting nearly-coincident events. We show that the resulting processing advances can reduce the required performa...

Full Text Available The regulation and mechanisms underlying itch sensation are complex. Here, we report a role for acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3 in mediating itch evoked by certain pruritogens during tissue acidosis. Co-administration of acid with Ser-Leu-Ile-Gly-Arg-Leu-NH2 (SL-NH2 increased scratching behavior in wild-type, but not ASIC3-null, mice, implicating the channel in coincident detection of acidosis and pruritogens. Mechanistically, SL-NH2 slowed desensitization of proton-evoked currents by targeting the previously identified nonproton ligand-sensing domain located in the extracellular region of ASIC3 channels in primary sensory neurons. Ablation of the ASIC3 gene reduced dry-skin-induced scratching behavior and pathological changes under conditions with concomitant inflammation. Taken together, our data suggest that ASIC3 mediates itch sensation via coincident detection of acidosis and nonproton ligands that act at the nonproton ligand-sensing domain of the channel.

This work explains a new, highly sensitive method for the detection of neutrons, which uses the T1/2 = 845 ns delay in the decay of 128I at the 137.8 keV energy level, resulting from the capture of thermal neutrons by iodine nuclei in NaI and CsI scintillation detectors. The use of delayed coincidence techniques with a several μs delay time window for delayed events allows for the highly effective discrimination of neutron events from any existing background signals. A comparison of ambient neutron measurements between those identified through the suggested method from a cylindrical, ø 63 mm × 63 mm NaI(Tl) scintillator and those from a low-background proportional 3He counter experimentally demonstrates the efficacy of this neutron detection method. For an isotropic, 4 π , thermal neutron flux of 1 ncm-2s-1 , the absolute sensitivity of the NaI detector was found to be 6.5 ± 1 countss-1 with an accidental coincidence background of 0.8 eventsday-1 for any delay time window of Δt = 1 μs . The proposed method can provide low-background experiments, using NaI or CsI, with measurements of the rate and stability of incoming neutron flux to a greater accuracy than 10-8 ncm-2s-1 .

We prove that Zeldovich formula for the cosmological constant, in terms of the gravitational constant G, Plancks constant, and a fundamental particle mass m, is equivalent to the Weinberg relation. This one defines the mass m of a fundamental particle in terms of the same constants, G and h, plus the speed of light c and the Hubble parameter H. Then the speed of light c must be proportional to the Hubble parameter H. We explain the cosmological coincidences and finetuning problems that are puzzling the research in cosmology: We find that the gravitational radius of the Universe and its size are one and the same constant, from a cosmological point of view. Also the matter (energy) density of the Universe and the vacuum energy density are now, and have been always, of the same order of magnitude. We solve the coincidence problem and the cosmological constant problem. We decouple the cosmological constant concept from the vacuum energy concept. These results are achieved by the use of a cosmic Planck constant th...

Random coincidence of events (particularly from two neutrino double beta decay) could be one of the main sources of background in the search for neutrinoless double beta decay with cryogenic bolometers due to their poor time resolution. Pulse-shape discrimination by using front edge analysis, mean-time and $\\chi^2$ methods was applied to discriminate randomly coinciding events in ZnMoO$_4$ cryogenic scintillating bolometers. These events can be effectively rejected at the level of 99% by the analysis of the heat signals with rise-time of about 14 ms and signal-to-noise ratio of 900, and at the level of 92% by the analysis of the light signals with rise-time of about 3 ms and signal-to-noise ratio of 30, under the requirement to detect 95% of single events. These rejection efficiencies are compatible with extremely low background levels in the region of interest of neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{100}$Mo for enriched ZnMoO$_4$ detectors, of the order of $10^{-4}$ counts/(y keV kg). Pulse-shape parameters ...

Full Text Available Radar coincidence imaging (RCI is a high-resolution staring imaging technique motivated by classical optical coincidence imaging. In RCI, sparse reconstruction methods are commonly used to achieve better imaging result, while the performance guarantee is based on the general assumption that the scatterers are located at the prediscretized grid-cell centers. However, the widely existing off-grid problem degrades the RCI performance considerably. In this paper, an algorithm based on variational sparse Bayesian learning (VSBL is developed to solve the off-grid RCI. Applying Taylor expansion, the unknown true dictionary is approximated accurately to a linear model. Then target reconstruction is reformulated as a joint sparse recovery problem that recovers three groups of sparse coefficients over three known dictionaries with the constraint of the common support shared by the groups. VSBL is then applied to solve the problem by assigning appropriate priors to the three groups of coefficients. Results of numerical experiments demonstrate that the algorithm can achieve outstanding reconstruction performance and yield superior performance both in suppressing noise and in adapting to off-grid error.

Full Text Available This paper presents a method for estimating the amplitude of coincident partials generated by harmonic musical sources (instruments and vocals. It was developed as an alternative to the commonly used interpolation approach, which has several limitations in terms of performance and applicability. The strategy is based on the following observations: (a the parameters of partials vary with time; (b such a variation tends to be correlated when the partials belong to the same source; (c the presence of an interfering coincident partial reduces the correlation; and (d such a reduction is proportional to the relative amplitude of the interfering partial. Besides the improved accuracy, the proposed technique has other advantages over its predecessors: it works properly even if the sources have the same fundamental frequency, it is able to estimate the first partial (fundamental, which is not possible using the conventional interpolation method, it can estimate the amplitude of a given partial even if its neighbors suffer intense interference from other sources, it works properly under noisy conditions, and it is immune to intraframe permutation errors. Experimental results show that the strategy clearly outperforms the interpolation approach.

Highlights: • The LVV Auger decay of different sulfur-overlayers is investigated. • The decay can be described within a two-step model. • The Auger line shapes furnish information on the electronic structure at the surface. • The e–e correlation energy is hardly affected by coverage or substrate variations. - Abstract: We have prepared different sulfur-overlayers on Cu(001) and Ni(001) surfaces which differ in their coverage and local environment of the S adatoms. Via photon absorption we excited the S 2p level and studied the subsequent Auger decay with a coincidence spectrometer. We discuss the variation of the coincidence rate as a function of the energy sum of the photo-Auger electron pair. This is linked to the binding energy of the double-hole state. We find that the photon energy has no dramatic influence on the spectra. Differences are observed when the local environment of sulfur is changed. The observed spectral changes are mainly ascribable to the variation of the density of states at the different surfaces. On the contrary, the strength of electron–electron correlation at the surface states is hardly affected by coverage or substrate variation.

Full Text Available In the information theory community, the following “historical” statements are generally well accepted: (1 Hartley did put forth his rule twenty years before Shannon; (2 Shannon’s formula as a fundamental tradeoff between transmission rate, bandwidth, and signal-to-noise ratio came out unexpected in 1948; (3 Hartley’s rule is inexact while Shannon’s formula is characteristic of the additive white Gaussian noise channel; (4 Hartley’s rule is an imprecise relation that is not an appropriate formula for the capacity of a communication channel. We show that all these four statements are somewhat wrong. In fact, a careful calculation shows that “Hartley’s rule” in fact coincides with Shannon’s formula. We explain this mathematical coincidence by deriving the necessary and sufficient conditions on an additive noise channel such that its capacity is given by Shannon’s formula and construct a sequence of such channels that makes the link between the uniform (Hartley and Gaussian (Shannon channels.

Cascade Auger electron emission following Xe 3d photoionization has been investigated using a multi-electron coincidence technique, which utilizes an electron spectrometer of magnetic bottle type. It has been found that the Xe{sup 2+} states of the 4p{sup -1}4d{sup -1} configuration, formed by the Auger decay of the Xe{sup +} 3d{sub 3/2,5/2}{sup -1} states, dominantly turn into triply charged states of the 4d{sup -2}5p{sup -1}/4d{sup -2}5s{sup -1} configurations. The Xe{sup 2+} 4s{sup -1}4d{sup -1} states, formed by the 3d Auger decay, yield the 4p{sup -1}4d{sup -1}5p{sup -1} states as well as the 4d{sup -3} states. From the coincidence spectrum among three Auger electrons, it is suggested that the Xe{sup 2+} 4p{sup -1}4d{sup -1} states give rise to the following cascade processes: 4p{sup -1}4d{sup -1} {yields} 4d{sup -2}5p{sup -1} {yields} 4d{sup -1}5p{sup -3}.

The aim of this work is to link the broad lambda 5450 diffuse interstellar band (DIB) to a laboratory spectrum recorded through an expanding acetylene plasma. Cavity ring-down direct absorption spectra and astronomical observations of HD 183143 with the HERMES spectrograph on the Mercator Telescope in La Palma and the McKellar spectrograph on the DAO 1.2 m Telescope are compared. In the 543-547 nm region a broad band is measured with a band maximum at 545 nm and FWHM of 1.03(0.1) nm coinciding with a well-known diffuse interstellar band at lambda 5450 with FWHM of 0.953 nm. A coincidence is found between the laboratory and the two independent observational studies obtained at higher spectral resolution. This result is important, as a match between a laboratory spectrum and a - potentially lifetime broadened - DIB is found. A series of additional experiments has been performed in order to unambiguously identify the laboratory carrier of this band. This has not been possible. The laboratory results, however, re...

For image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) systems based on cone beam CT (CBCT) integrated into a linear accelerator, the reproducible alignment of imager to x-ray source is critical to the registration of both the x-ray-volumetric image with the megavoltage (MV) beam isocentre and image sharpness. An enhanced method of determining the CBCT to MV isocentre alignment using the QUASAR Penta-Guide phantom was developed which improved both precision and accuracy. This was benchmarked against our existing method which used software and a ball-bearing (BB) phantom provided by Elekta. Additionally, a method of measuring an image sharpness metric (MTF(50)) from the edge response function of a spherical air cavity within the Penta-Guide phantom was developed and its sensitivity was tested by simulating misalignments of the kV imager. Reproducibility testing of the enhanced Penta-Guide method demonstrated a systematic error of <0.2 mm when compared to the BB method with near equivalent random error (s=0.15 mm). The mean MTF(50) for five measurements was 0.278+/-0.004 lp mm(-1) with no applied misalignment. Simulated misalignments exhibited a clear peak in the MTF(50) enabling misalignments greater than 0.4 mm to be detected. The Penta-Guide phantom can be used to precisely measure CBCT-MV coincidence and image sharpness on CBCT-IGRT systems.

This study examines the learning of a gross motor coincidence timing task by children with learning difficulties, compared with that by children of average intelligence of an equivalent chronological age and mental age. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

Relatively little is known about the financial market impact of international monetary surprises arising on the same trading day. This paper estimates a suite of multi-security factor models, which captures international monetary surprise effects on UK and Euro Area government-bond markets over the period 1999–2014. In doing so, we shed light on the relative importance of coinciding, non-coinciding monetary surprises and non-monetary surprises across the yield curve. We find some support for ...

The H.P. (High Purity) Germanium detector is commonly used for gamma spectrometry in environmental radioactivity laboratories. The efficiency of the detector must be calibrated for each geometry considered. This calibration is performed using a standard solution containing gamma emitter sources. The usual goal is the obtaining of an efficiency curve to be used in the determination of the activity of samples with the same geometry. It is evident the importance of the detector calibration. However, the procedure presents some problems as it depends on the source geometry (shape, volume, distance to detector, etc.) and shall be repeated when these factors change. That means an increasing use of standard solutions and consequently an increasing generation of radioactive wastes. Simulation of the calibration procedure with a validated computer program is clearly an important auxiliary tool for environmental radioactivity laboratories. This simulation is useful for both optimising calibration procedures and reducing the amount of radioactivity wastes produced. The M.C.N.P. code, based on the Monte Carlo method, has been used in this work for the simulation of detector calibration. A model has been developed for the detector as well as for the source contained in a Petri box. The source is a standard solution that contains the following radionuclides: {sup 241}Am, {sup 109}Cd, {sup 57}Co, {sup 139}Ce, {sup 203}Hg, {sup 113}Sn, {sup 85}Sr, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 88}Y and {sup 60}Co; covering a wide energy range (50 to 2000 keV). However, there are two radionuclides in the solution ({sup 60}Co and {sup 88}Y) that emit gamma rays in true coincidence. The effect of the true coincidence summing produces a distortion of the calibration curve at higher energies. To decrease this effect some measurements have been performed at increasing distances between the source and the detector. As the true coincidence effect is observed in experimental measurements but not in the Monte Carlo

The role of dendritic spiking mechanisms in neural processing is so far poorly understood. To investigate the role of calcium spikes in the functional properties of the single neuron and recurrent networks, we investigated a three compartment neuron model of the layer 5 pyramidal neuron with calcium dynamics in the distal compartment. By performing single neuron simulations with noisy synaptic input and occasional large coincident input at either just the distal compartment or at both somatic and distal compartments, we show that the presence of calcium spikes confers a substantial advantage for coincidence detection in the former case and a lesser advantage in the latter. We further show that the experimentally observed critical frequency phenomenon, in which action potentials triggered by stimuli near the soma above a certain frequency trigger a calcium spike at distal dendrites, leading to further somatic depolarization, is not exhibited by a neuron receiving realistically noisy synaptic input, and so is unlikely to be a necessary component of coincidence detection. We next investigate the effect of calcium spikes in propagation of spiking activities in a feed-forward network (FFN) embedded in a balanced recurrent network. The excitatory neurons in the network are again connected to either just the distal, or both somatic and distal compartments. With purely distal connectivity, activity propagation is stable and distinguishable for a large range of recurrent synaptic strengths if the feed-forward connections are sufficiently strong, but propagation does not occur in the absence of calcium spikes. When connections are made to both the somatic and the distal compartments, activity propagation is achieved for neurons with active calcium dynamics at a much smaller number of neurons per pool, compared to a network of passive neurons, but quickly becomes unstable as the strength of recurrent synapses increases. Activity propagation at higher scaling factors can be

Network data analysis methods are the only way to properly separate real gravitational wave (GW) transient events from detector noise. They can be divided into two generic classes: the coincidence method and the coherent analysis. The former uses lists of selected events provided by each interferometer belonging to the network and tries to correlate them in time to identify a physical signal. Instead of this binary treatment of detector outputs (signal present or absent), the latter method involves first the merging of the interferometer data and looks for a common pattern, consistent with an assumed GW waveform and a given source location in the sky. The thresholds are only applied later, to validate or not the hypothesis made. As coherent algorithms use more complete information than coincidence methods, they are expected to provide better detection performances, but at a higher computational cost. An efficient filter must yield a good compromise between a low false alarm rate (hence triggering on data at a manageable rate) and a high detection efficiency. Therefore, the comparison of the two approaches is achieved using so-called receiving operating characteristics (ROC), giving the relationship between the false alarm rate and the detection efficiency for a given method. This paper investigates this question via Monte Carlo simulations, using the network model developed in a previous article. Its main conclusions are the following. First, a three-interferometer network such as Virgo-LIGO is found to be too small to reach good detection efficiencies at low false alarm rates: larger configurations are suitable to reach a confidence level high enough to validate as true GW a detected event. In addition, an efficient network must contain interferometers with comparable sensitivities: studying the three-interferometer LIGO network shows that the 2-km interferometer with half sensitivity leads to a strong reduction of performances as compared to a network of three

-15 DU (~3% for AATS data acquired during two flights - a longitudinal transect from Sweden to Greenland on 21 January, and a latitudinal transect from 47° N to 35° N on 6 February. For the round trip DC-8 latitudinal transect between 34° N and 22° N on 19-20 December 2002, resultant AATS-14 ozone retrievals plus below-aircraft ozone estimates yield a latitudinal gradient that is similar in shape to that observed by TOMS and GOME, but resultant AATS values exceed the corresponding satellite values by up to 30 DU at certain latitudes. These differences are unexplained, but they are attributed to spatial and temporal variability that was associated with the dynamics near the subtropical jet but was unresolved by the satellite sensors. For selected cases, we also compare AATS-14 ozone retrievals with values derived from coincident measurements by the other two DC-8 based solar occultation instruments: the National Center for Atmospheric Research Direct beam Irradiance Airborne Spectrometer (DIAS and the NASA Langley Research Center Gas and Aerosol Monitoring System (GAMS. AATS and DIAS retrievals agree to within RMS differences of 1% of the AATS values for the 21 January and 19-20 December flights, and 2.3% for the 6 February flight. Corresponding AATS-GAMS RMS differences are ~1.5% for the 21 January flight; GAMS data were not compared for the 6 February flight and were not available for the 19-20 December flight. Line of sight ozone retrievals from coincident measurements obtained by the three DC-8 solar occultation instruments during the SAGE III solar occultation event on 24 January yield RMS differences of 2.1% for AATS-DIAS and 0.5% for AATS-GAMS.

within 10–15 DU (~3% for AATS data acquired during two flights – a longitudinal transect from Sweden to Greenland on 21 January, and a latitudinal transect from 47° N to 35° N on 6 February. For the round trip DC-8 latitudinal transect between 34° N and 22° N on 19–20 December 2002, resultant AATS-14 ozone retrievals plus below-aircraft ozone estimates yield a latitudinal gradient that is similar in shape to that observed by TOMS and GOME, but resultant AATS values exceed the corresponding satellite values by up to 30 DU at certain latitudes. These differences are unexplained, but they are attributed to spatial and temporal variability that was associated with the dynamics near the subtropical jet but was unresolved by the satellite sensors.

For selected cases, we also compare AATS-14 ozone retrievals with values derived from coincident measurements by the other two DC-8 based solar occultation instruments: the National Center for Atmospheric Research Direct beam Irradiance Airborne Spectrometer (DIAS and the NASA Langley Research Center Gas and Aerosol Monitoring System (GAMS. AATS and DIAS retrievals agree to within RMS differences of 1% of the AATS values for the 21 January and 19–20 December flights, and 2.3% for the 6 February flight. Corresponding AATS-GAMS RMS differences are ~3% for the 21 January flight; GAMS data were not compared for the 6 February flight and were not available for the 19–20 December flight. Line of sight ozone retrievals from coincident measurements obtained by the three DC-8 solar occultation instruments during the SAGE III solar occultation event on 24 January yield RMS differences of 2.1% for AATS-DIAS and 4.2% for AATS-GAMS.

We have developed an Auger electron-ion coincidence spectrometer to measure energy- and angular-correlations among the particles ejected on decay of core-excited/ionized molecules. The apparatus consists of a double toroidal electron analyzer and a three-dimensional ion momentum spectrometer, both of which are terminated by time- and position-sensitive detectors. For extracting the ions into the ion momentum spectrometer, a pulsed electric field is applied to the interaction region, according to each Auger electron observation. To evaluate the performance of the ion momentum spectrometer, momentum vectors of fragment ions produced through the dissociation from the selected molecular ion states following N{sub 2} core photoionization have been observed. The momentum, energy and angular resolutions achieved by the spectrometer have been estimated from the events associated with the formation of N{sub 2}{sup 2+} and with the pair formation of N{sup +}+{sup N+}.

Methods of fabricating a semiconductor layer or device and said devices are disclosed. The methods include but are not limited to providing a substrate having a crystalline surface with a known lattice parameter (a). The method further includes growing a crystalline semiconductor layer on the crystalline substrate surface by coincident site lattice matched epitaxy, without any buffer layer between the crystalline semiconductor layer and the crystalline surface of the substrate. The crystalline semiconductor layer will be prepared to have a lattice parameter (a') that is related to the substrate lattice parameter (a). The lattice parameter (a') maybe related to the lattice parameter (a) by a scaling factor derived from a geometric relationship between the respective crystal lattices.

Total electron-ion-ion coincidence measurements on core excited organic molecules have been carried out with high mass resolution by using multimode (reflectron/linear) time-of-flight mass analyzer. From the ion correlation spectra of core excited CH sub 3 OH and CD sub 3 OH, the reaction pathway to form H sub 3 sup + (D sub 3 sup +) is identified as the elimination of three H (D) atoms from the methyl group, not as the inter-group (-CH sub 3 and -OH) interactions. In a PEPIPICO spectrum of acetylacetone (CH sub 3 COCH sub 2 COCH sub 3) measured by using a reflectron TOF, correlations between ions up to mass number 70 with one-mass resolution was recorded.

The Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD), the outermost detector layer in the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Large Area Telescope (LAT), is designed to detect and veto incident cosmic ray charged particles, which outnumber cosmic gamma rays by 3-4 orders of magnitude. The challenge in ACD design is that it must have high (0.9997) detection efficiency for singly-charged relativistic particles, but must also have a low probability for self-veto of high-energy gammas by backsplash radiation from interactions in the LAT calorimeter. Simulations and tests demonstrate that the ACD meets its design requirements. The performance of the ACD has remained stable through stand-alone environmental testing, shipment across the U.S., installation onto the LAT, shipment back across the U.S., LAT environmental testing, and shipment to Arizona. As part of the fully-assembled GLAST observatory, the ACD is being readied for final testing before launch.

Civil conflicts promoted by adverse environmental conditions represent one of the most important potential feedbacks in the global socio-environmental nexus. While the role of climate extremes as a triggering factor is often discussed, no consensus is yet reached about the cause-and-effect relation in the observed data record. Here we present results of a rigorous statistical coincidence analysis based on the Munich Re Inc. extreme events database and the Uppsala conflict data program. We report evidence for statistically significant synchronicity between climate extremes with high economic impact and violent conflicts for various regions, although no coherent global signal emerges from our analysis. Our results indicate the importance of regional vulnerability and might aid to identify hot-spot regions for potential climate-triggered violent social conflicts.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) shedding and oral bacterial flora were monitored over a period of 22 months in a case of feline gingivostomatitis (FGS). The cat was treated daily with 50 mg thalidomide capsules by mouth, and 200 mg lactoferrin powder was applied directly to the lesions. Clinical signs began to resolve after 11 months when, in addition to treatment, the diet had been changed to an additive-free cat food supplemented with antioxidant vitamins A, D3 and E. Resolution of clinical signs of FGS coincided with the cessation of FCV shedding, and this is the first report documenting such an association. Which part of the treatment, if any, contributed to the cure requires further investigation.

We demonstrate coincidence measurements of spatially entangled photons by means of a novel type of multi-pixel based detection array. The adopted sensor is a fully digital 8$\\times$16 silicon photomultiplier array allowing not only photon counting but also per-pixel time stamping of the arrived photons with a resolution of 65 ps. Together with a frame rate of 500 kfps, this property exceeds the capabilities of conventional charge-coupled device cameras which have become of growing interest for the detection of transversely correlated photon pairs. The sensor is used to measure a second-order correlation function for various non-collinear configurations of entangled photons generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The experimental results are compared to theory.

The Saci-Perere γ ray spectrometer (located at the Pelletron AcceleratorLaboratory – IFUSP) was employed to implement the γ-particle coincidence technique for the study of nuclear reaction mechanisms. For this, the {sup 18}O+{sup 110}Pd reaction has been studied in the beam energy range of 45–54 MeV. Several corrections to the data due to various effects (energy and angle integrations, beam spot size, γ detector finite size and the vacuum de-alignment) are small and well controlled. The aim of this work was to establish a proper method to analyze the data and identify the reaction mechanisms involved. To achieve this goal the inelastic scattering to the first excited state of {sup 110}Pd has been extracted and compared to coupled channel calculations using the São Paulo Potential (PSP), being reasonably well described by it.

Recent measurements have demonstrated the possibility of probing single-photon ionization time delays of electrons originating from different initial states [1,2]. Here, we show for the first time the importance of the temporal structure of the ionizing single attosecond pulse (i.e. attochirp) in the extraction of time delays in attosecond streaking experiments. We have demonstrated this by measuring the time delay between valence electrons from different atomic species by combining attosecond streaking with a coincidence detection scheme. This novel technique allows for the simultaneous measurement of both species under identical conditions. We find that the attochirp introduces an artificial time delay that may exceed the atomic time delay and present a general procedure, which corrects for this contribution. Our analysis, exemplarily applied to argon (Ar) and neon (Ne), reveals an energy-dependent atomic time delay of a few tens of attoseconds in agreement with theoretical predictions.

The searching for proton decay (PDK) is going on current Water Cherenkov (WCh) detectors such as Super-Kamiokande. However, PDK-like backgrounds produced by the neutrino interactions will limit the sensitivity of the detectors. The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is going to measure the neutron yield of neutrino interactions in gadolinium-loaded water by the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) with known characteristics. In this thesis, neutrino, neutrino oscillations, Dirac neutrino and Majorana neutrino and neutrino interactions are introduced. ANNIE experiment is also introduced. And two modes of proton decays are discussed. The ANNIE experiment requires detection of the neutrons produced by the BNB interactions with water. However, dirt muons produced by the interaction of the BNB with the rock and dirt upstream of the ANNIE hall will cause a correlated background. Therefore, the Front Anti-Coincidence Counter (FACC) was built to measure the rock muons. This thesis details the design, installation, and commissioning of the ANNIE FACC.

A strong transition to an autoionizing stata has been observed in O 2 at 16.83 ± 0.11 eV by means of a new electron-electron conincidence method. The method uses the fact that electrons arising from autoionizing states appear at a constant energy loss corresponding to the excitation energy of the autoionizing state rather than at a constant ionization potential as do electrons produced by direct ionization. Comparison of the present data with previous photoionization studies suggests that the autoionizing O 2 state is the same state deduced to be responsible for abnormal vibrational intensities in the O 2+X 2Πg ground state when 16.85 eV Ne(I) photons are used. These electron-electron coincidence experiments provide a direct new method for the study of autoionization produced by electron impact.

A new approach to the kinematic coincidence method (KCM) is proposed, which makes use of the whole kinematic information of heavy ion experiments in a self-consistent way. It takes advantage of the overdetermination of the measurement yielding not only solutions for the primary masses of the fragments, but also 'improved values' for their velocity vectors. A statistical variable, ..delta../sub v/, indicates to what extent the secondary quantities violate the kinematics of the reaction. The ability of the present approach to reproduce the primary quantities of a binary or ternary reaction is compared with that of older approaches on the basis of realistic Monte Carlo simulations. The background of incompletely detected events of higher multiplicity can be effectively subtracted using the results of the present analysis.

A new approach to the kinematic coincidence method (KCM) is proposed, which makes use of the whole kinematic information of heavy ion experiments in a self-consistent way. It takes advantage of the overdetermination of the measurement yielding not only solutions for the primary masses of the fragments, but also "improved values" for their velocity vectors. A statistical variable, Δν, indicates to what extent the secondary quantities violate the kinematics of the reaction. The ability of the present approach to reproduce the primary quantities of a binary or ternary reaction is compared with that of older approaches on the basis of realistic Monte Carlo simulations. The background of incompletely detected events of higher multiplicity can be effectively subtracted using the results of the present analysis.

This paper describes the design, fabrication and testing of the Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD) for the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Large Area Telescope (LAT). The ACD is LAT's first-level defense against the charged cosmic ray background that outnumbers the gamma rays by 3-5 orders of magnitude. The ACD covers the top and 4 sides of the LAT tracking detector, requiring a total active area of {approx}8.3 square meters. The ACD detector utilizes plastic scintillator tiles with wave-length shifting fiber readout. In order to suppress self-veto by shower particles at high gamma-ray energies, the ACD is segmented into 89 tiles of different sizes. The overall ACD efficiency for detection of singly charged relativistic particles entering the tracking detector from the top or sides of the LAT exceeds the required 0.9997.

The precipitation sequence at 700 C of the Ni{sub 3}(Ti,Al)-type ordered {gamma}' phase in the commercial nickel-based superalloy Inconel X-750 was investigated using Coincidence Doppler Broadening (CDB) technique. The results obtained are discussed in terms of positron annihilation in two well-defined states: one corresponding to the matrix ({gamma} phase) and a second related to the {gamma}' precipitates. Between these two aging stages, CDB distributions corresponding to selected intermediate aging treatments could be presented exactly, within the experimental scatter, as a linear combination of the {gamma} and {gamma}' signatures. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

We report a patient presenting with ALS in whom acromegaly was later confirmed. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been tried in the treatment of ALS and despite equivocal results from clinical trials, efforts have continued to try to harness the significant positive effects on motor neuron growth observed in vitro and in survival of mouse models of the disease. One subsequent study has reported an association between higher circulating serum IGF-1 levels and longer disease duration in ALS patients. Concern therefore arose in our case that treatment of the acromegaly with a somatostatin analogue might adversely affect the natural course of his ALS through lowering of potentially beneficial IGF-1 levels. Through clinical observation and prognostic modelling we suggest that this concern was unfounded. The potential interaction of these two rarely coincident disorders in our patient is discussed.

Great earthquakes have repeatedly occurred on the plate interface in a few shallow-dipping subduction zones where the subducting and overriding plates are strongly locked. Silent earthquakes (or slow slip events) were recently discovered at the down-dip extension of the locked zone and interact with the earthquake cycle. Here, we show that locally observed converted SP arrivals and teleseismic underside reflections that sample the top of the subducting plate in southern Mexico reveal that the ultra-slow velocity layer (USL) varies spatially (3 to 5 kilometers, with an S-wave velocity of approximately 2.0 to 2.7 kilometers per second). Most slow slip patches coincide with the presence of the USL, and they are bounded by the absence of the USL. The extent of the USL delineates the zone of transitional frictional behavior.

Coherent multidimensional optical spectroscopy is broadly applied across the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from NMR to UV. These techniques reveal the properties of matter through the correlation plots of signal fields generated in response to sequences of short pulses with variable delays. Here we discuss a new class of multidimensional techniques obtained by the time-and-frequency-resolved photon coincidence counting measurements of N photons, which constitute a 2N dimensional spectrum. A compact description of these signals is developed based on time-ordered superoperators rather than the normally ordered ordinary operators used in Glauber's photon counting formalism. The independent control of the time and frequency gate parameters reveals fine details of matter dynamics not available otherwise. These signal are illustrated for application to an anharmonic oscillator model with fluctuating energy and anharmonicity.

Coherent multidimensional optical spectroscopy techniques are broadly applied across the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from NMR to the UV. These reveal properties of matter through correlation plots of signal fields generated in response to sequences of short pulses with variable delays. Here we discuss a new class of multidimensional techniques obtained by time-and-frequency resolved photon coincidence counting measurements of N photons which constitutes a 2N dimensional spectrum. A compact description of these signals is developed based on time ordered superoperators rather than the normally ordered ordinary operators used in Glauber's photon counting formalism. The independent control of the time and frequency gate parameters reveals details of matter dynamics not available otherwise. Application to an anharmonic oscillator model with fluctuating energy and anharmonicity demonstrates the power of these signals.

Severe floods triggered by intense precipitation are among the most destructive natural hazards in Alpine environments, frequently causing large financial and societal damage. Potential enhanced flood occurrence due to global climate change would thus increase threat to settlements, infrastructure, and human lives in the affected regions. Yet, projections of intense precipitation exhibit major uncertainties and robust reconstructions of Alpine floods are limited to the instrumental and historical period. Here we present a 2500-year long flood reconstruction for the European Alps, based on dated sedimentary flood deposits from ten lakes in Switzerland. We show that periods with high flood frequency coincide with cool summer temperatures. This wet-cold synchronism suggests enhanced flood occurrence to be triggered by latitudinal shifts of Atlantic and Mediterranean storm tracks. This paleoclimatic perspective reveals natural analogues for varying climate conditions, and thus can contribute to a better understanding and improved projections of weather extremes under climate change.

The recoil ion momentum spectroscopy (RIMS) method combined with the detection of Auger electrons has been used successfully to analyse double electron capture following O{sup 6+} + He collisions at low impact velocities. Although RIMS and Auger spectroscopies are known to be efficient tools to obtain details on the primary processes occurring during the collision, the conjunction of both techniques provides new insights on the electron capture process. In the present experiment, triple coincidence detection of the scattered projectile, the target recoil ion and the Auger electron allows for a precise identification of the doubly excited states O{sup 4+} (1s{sup 2}nln{sup '}l{sup '}) populated after double electron-capture events.

Tau protein, the major constituent of neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies, is classified as intrinsically disordered protein (IDP). IDPs in contrast to globular proteins contain high proportion of polar and charged amino acids in their sequence, which results in the absence of a well-defined three-dimensional structure of the free protein. Structural flexibility of IDPs is required to perform their important role in many cellular processes. In the course of tauopathies, highly soluble disordered tau protein acquires rigid fold and forms highly insoluble filaments. Beneficial intrinsic disorder transforms into a fatal order: is it a coincidence, or is there an underlying reason for preferential IDPs assembly? In this review we present the structural characteristics of tau protein filamentous lesions in AD and discuss the tendency of IDPs to assembly and to form amyloid deposits (Ref: 65).

True coincidence summing (TCS) effect for natural radioactive families of U-238 and Th-232 represents a problem when an environmental sample with a close source-detector geometry measurement is performed. By using a certified multi-nuclide standard source to calibrate an energy extended range (XtRa) HPGe detector, it is possible to obtain an intensity spectrum slightly affected by the TCS effect with energies from 46 to 1836 keV. In this work, the equations and some other considerations required to calculate the TCS correction factor for isotopes of natural radioactive chains are described. It is projected a validation of the calibration, performed with the IAEA-CU-2006-03 samples (soil and water)

The study of correlations between particle evaporation from highly excited compound nuclei at large angular momenta and the states in the final evaporation residues (ER) is a field of investigation which has been opened, in the last years, with the advent of the new large {gamma}-ray arrays. It is now possible to correlate the evaporation spectra to various bands with shapes ranging from spherical to superdeformed (SD) in the same final nucleus. It is generally accepted that the particle evaporation from the compound nucleus is chaotic and that only in the near-yrast {gamma} cascade, where the feeding of different classes of states takes place, the ordered motion is restored. The sensitivity of the particle spectra on the feeding of specific states in the residual nuclei can be taken as an indication that additional degrees of freedom might be important in the evaporation process or that particular regions of the phase space open to the decay populate preferentially some selected structures in the final cold nucleus. This latter point is important for the understanding of the feeding mechanism of SD states. Several experiments performed so far did not find a clear dependence of the shapes of the particle spectra on the excited states having different deformations in the ER. For example, the proton spectra in coincidence with transitions in the SD bands of {sup 133}Nd and {sup 152}Dy nuclei were found to be similar to those in coincidence with transitions in the normal deformed (ND) bands. Alpha particles have been proposed since long as a sensitive probe of the deformation of the emitting nucleus. Results are presented here of an experiment in which the authors have measured the energy spectra of alpha particles associated with different classes of states (ND and SD) in the {sup 150}Tb nucleus populated in the reaction {sup 37}Cl({sup 120}Sn, {alpha}3n{gamma}){sup 150}Tb.

Full Text Available The aetilogy of male pattern baldness (MPB is not clearly found yet. The present study has been designed to determine if three is a significant statistical coincidence between MPB and pityrosporm group of fungal infection. This cross-sectional study covers 50 men with the diagnosis of MPB who visited the dermatology clinic of Qaem hospital of Mashhad Medical University as the case group and 43 men with no evidence of MPB as the control group. A questionnaire was filled out for each person of the two groups and mycological sampling was done from three parts of the case group scalp (bald, balding, intact areas and two parts of the control group scalp (vertex and parietal. All the data were analysed using the software SPSS 10.00 and Chi-square, Pearson Chi-square and Friedman tests. Results showed that there was no difference between different degrees of infection in the intact area (p>0.05. Among the three parts of the case group scalp, bald area had the highest degree of infection (p<0.001. The degree of infection in the bald area of the case group scalp was higher than that of the vertex area of the control group scalp (p<0.001, while there was no difference between the degrees of infection in the intact area of the case group scalp and the parietal area of the control group scalp (p>0.05. This study supports some previous studies that claimed that there might be coincidence between MPB and pityrosporum fungal infection.

Introduction: We developed a new fully automated method for the radiosynthesis of [{sup 18}F]fluorocholine by modifying the commercial 2-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-2-D-deoxy-glucose ([{sup 18}F]FDG) synthesizer module (GE TracerLab MX, formerly Coincidence). Methods: [{sup 18}F]Flurocholine was synthesized by {sup 18}F-fluoroalkylation of N,N-dimethylaminoethanol using [{sup 18}F]fluorobromomethane as fluoromethylating agent. [{sup 18}F]Fluorobromomethane was produced by reaction of dibromomethane with [{sup 18}F]fluoride, assisted by Kryptofix 2.2.2. Results: After purification on solid-phase extraction cartridges, the [{sup 18}F]fluorocholine was obtained in 15-25% radiochemical yields (decay not corrected), with more than 99% radiochemical purity. Specific activity was more than 37 GBq/{mu}mol. Synthesis time was less than 35 min. Conclusion: This new automated synthesis technique provides high and reproducible yields that could be dedicated for routine use with the same [{sup 18}F]FDG disposable cassette system.

Modern PET systems reach a spatial resolution of 3-10 mm. A disadvantage of this technique is the diffusion of the positron before its decay with a typical range of ca. 1 mm (depending on its energy). This motion and Compton scattering of the 511 keV photons within the patient limit the performance of PET. We present a nuclear medical imaging technique, able to reach submillimeter spatial resolution in 3 dimensions with a reduced activity application compared to conventional PET. This 'gamma-PET' technique draws on specific positron sources simultaneously emitting an additional photon with the \\beta+ decay. Exploiting the triple coincidence between the positron annihilation and the third photon, it is possible to separate the reconstructed 'true' events from background. In order to test the feasibility of this technique, Monte-Carlo simulations and image reconstruction has been performed. The spatial resolution amounts to 0.2 mm (FWHM) in each direction, surpassing the performance of conventional PET by about...

OBJECTIVE: Familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man no. 151660) is a systemic disorder characterized by regional lipoatrophy and lipohypertrophy, severe insulin resistance, and early cardiovascular death. At initial presentation, whole-body MRI allows the radiologist to accurately characterize patients with familial partial lipodystrophy and helps differentiate familial partial lipodystrophy from many other subtypes of lipodystophy. We present the findings of serial quantitative MRI analysis in two patients with familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 and outline the objective imaging changes that occur during medical therapy with oral rosiglitazone. CONCLUSION: Cervical adipose volume and visceral adipose area increased by 105% and 60% in the two patients and hepatic fat fraction decreased by 55% during a 21-month period of medical therapy. These changes coincided with a decrease in biochemical indexes of insulin resistance. Whole body quantitative MRI may therefore help to demonstrate the subclinical changes in fat deposition that occur as a result of novel treatment of familial partial lipodystrophy and with continued research may play a role in guiding the choice, duration, and intensity of novel medical therapy.

Quantitative PET imaging is widely used in clinical diagnosis in oncology and neuroimaging. Accurate normalization correction for the efficiency of each line-of- response is essential for accurate quantitative PET image reconstruction. In this paper, we propose a normalization calibration method by using the delayed-window coincidence events from the scanning phantom or patient. The proposed method could dramatically reduce the 'ring' artifacts caused by mismatched system count-rates between the calibration and phantom/patient datasets. Moreover, a modified algorithm for mean detector efficiency estimation is proposed, which could generate crystal efficiency maps with more uniform variance. Both phantom and real patient datasets are used for evaluation. The results show that the proposed method could lead to better uniformity in reconstructed images by removing ring artifacts, and more uniform axial variance profiles, especially around the axial edge slices of the scanner. The proposed method also has the potential benefit to simplify the normalization calibration procedure, since the calibration can be performed using the on-the-fly acquired delayed-window dataset.

It is proved from the last 22 years observations of the total solar irradiance (TSI) from space by artificial satellites, that TSI shows negative correlation with the solar activity (sunspots, flares, and 10.7cm Radio emissions) from day to day, but shows positive correlations with the same activity from year to year (on the base of the annual average for each of them). Also, the solar constant, which estimated fromth ground stations for beam solar radiations observations during the 20 century indicate coincidence with the phases of the 11- year cycles. It is known from sunspot observations (250 years) , and from C14 analysis, that there are another long-term cycles for the solar activity larger than 11-year cycle. The variability of the total solar irradiance affecting on the climate, and the Nile flooding, where there is a periodicities in the Nile flooding similar to that of solar activity, from the analysis of about 1300 years of the Nile level observations atth Cairo. The secular variations of the Nile levels, regularly measured from the 7 toth 15 century A.D., clearly correlate with the solar variations, which suggests evidence for solar influence on the climatic changes in the East African tropics The civilization of the ancient Egyptian was highly correlated with the Nile flooding , where the river Nile was and still yet, the source of the life in the Valley and Delta inside high dry desert area. The study depends on long -time historical data for Carbon 14 (more than five thousands years), and chronical scanning for all the elements of the ancient Egyptian civilization starting from the firs t dynasty to the twenty six dynasty. The result shows coincidence between the ancient Egyptian civilization and solar activity. For example, the period of pyramids building, which is one of the Brilliant periods, is corresponding to maximum solar activity, where the periods of occupation of Egypt by Foreign Peoples corresponding to minimum solar activity. The decline

Objective The aim is to improve the accuracy of diagnosis coincidence rate with ICD assis -tance judgment.Methods The data of diagnosis were extracted from Hospital Information System .The difference between physician judgment and ICD code judgment was compared , the inconsistent cases were analyzed .Results The coincidence rate judged by ICD code was higher than that judged by physician (99.21% vs.54.31%,P <0.0001).Of all the 2145 cases, 70 cases judged by physician were wrong .Conclusion With the assistance judg-ment of ICD can improve the accuracy of diagnosis coincidence rate .%目的：以国际疾病分类编码（ICD10）辅助判定提高患者出入院诊断符合率的准确性。方法从“军字一号”数据库中提取诊断符合相关数据，比较医师判定和 ICD10判定入院诊断符合的一致性，并对两种判定不一致的病例进行分析。结果2145例次出院患者的 ICD 编码诊断符合率判定（99．21％）明显高于医师判定（54．31％，P ＜0．0001），有70例为医师判定错误。结论以 ICD 编码进行辅助判定，有助于提高患者入出院诊断符合率的准确性，提高诊断质量。

Detailed uncertainty reporting is imperative for proficiency tests and comparison exercises because uncertainties need to be comparable and trusted by all the participants. Even though participants do their best to follow the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, ambiguities and divergences about uncertainty evaluation remain. Consequently, to analyze the situation, the CCRI (II) Uncertainties Working Group proposed a comparison exercise (CCRI(II)-S7) about the uncertainty evaluation of a relatively simple primary activity measurement: the standardization of a 60Co source by coincidence counting. To be able to understand how various NMIs calculate coincidence counting uncertainties, our study focused on two of the dominant uncertainty components commonly quoted for 4πβ-γ coincidence counting in the International Reference System (SIR) submissions and Key Comparison exercises: efficiency-extrapolation and weighing. Participants from twelve different laboratories were sent the same set of measurement data from the analysis of a 60Co solution standardized at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Our study demonstrated the extent of the different interpretations of the uncertainty components. Some factors causing large discrepancies were isolated and are discussed. Further studies of other techniques using a similar approach would be beneficial for the metrology community. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.

A new method for measuring chance-coincidence backgrounds during the collection of coincidence data is presented. The method relies on acquiring data with near-zero dead time, which is now realistic due to the increasing deployment of flash electronic-digitizer (waveform digitizer) techniques. An experiment designed to use this new method is capable of acquiring more coincidence data, and a much reduced statistical fluctuation of the measured background. A statistical analysis is presented, and used to derive a figure of merit for the new method. Factors of four improvement over other analyses are realistic. The technique is illustrated with preliminary data taken as part of a program to make new measurements of the prompt fission neutron spectra at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. It is expected that the these measurements will occur in a regime where the maximum figure of merit will be exploited.

We present an archival search for transient gravitational-wave bursts in coincidence with 27 single-pulse triggers from Green Bank Telescope pulsar surveys, using the LIGO, Virgo, and GEO interferometer network. We also discuss a check for gravitational-wave signals in coincidence with Parkes fast radio bursts using similar methods. Data analyzed in these searches were collected between 2007 and 2013. Possible sources of emission of both short-duration radio signals and transient gravitational-wave emission include starquakes on neutron stars, binary coalescence of neutron stars, and cosmic string cusps. While no evidence for gravitational-wave emission in coincidence with these radio transients was found, the current analysis serves as a prototype for similar future searches using more sensitive second-generation interferometers.

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.

Compton collimated imaging may improve the detection of gamma rays emitted by radioisotopes used in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We present a crude prototype consisting of a single 500μm thick, 256 pad silicon detector with pad size of 1.4×1.4mm2, combined with a 15×15×1cm3 NaI scintillator crystal coupled to a set of 20 photo multipliers. Emphasis is placed on the performance of the silicon detector and the associated read-out electronics, which has so far proved to be the most challenging part of the set-up. Results were obtained using the VATAGP3, 128 channel low-noise self-triggering ASIC as the silicon detector's front-end. The noise distribution (σ) of the spectroscopic outputs gave an equivalent noise charge (ENC) with a mean value of =137e with a spread of 10e, corresponding to an energy resolution of 1.15keV FWHM for the scattered electron energy. Threshold settings above 8.2keV were required for stable operation of the trigger. Coincident Compton scatter events in both modules were observed for photons emitted by 57Co source with principal gamma ray energies of 122 and 136keV.

To completely characterize photodissociation mechanisms with time-resolved spectroscopy, it is essential to obtain unequivocal experimental information about the fragmentation dynamics induced by the laser pulse. We apply time-resolved photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) detection in combination with different excitation schemes to obtain a mechanistic picture of the fragmentation process. For gas phase acetone molecules excited to high lying Rydberg states we are able to disentangle different ionization channels and investigate the fragmentation behavior of each channel separately. In particular, the high differentiability of PEPICO allows to distinguish channels where fragmentation proceeds after ionization from channels with fragmentation in the neutral. We show that excited Rydberg state population undergoes internal conversion due to coupling to valence states, which takes place within (150 ± 30) fs. The corresponding non-adiabatic, ultrafast relaxation dynamics to lower lying states causes conversion of electronic to vibrational energy and is found to play a crucial role in the fragmentation process (see figure 1). By studying the influence of photon energy, pulse duration, chirp and intensity of the laser pulses, we are able to determine the energy-threshold that is required for fragmentation, as well as corresponding fragmentation ratios. Surprisingly, for excitation with pulses possessing a strong negative chirp we observe significantly reduced fragmentation, indicating different internal conversion pathways and the associated intramolecular vibrational redistribution.

A personal-computer-based program SWELL has been developed for well-type HPGe detector effective-solid-angle calculation. This program is very useful in constructing the absolute-peak efficiency (epsilon sub p) versus gamma-ray energy (E subgamma) curves for different sample geometries based on a pre-determined epsilon sub p under a reference counting geometry. The validity of using this program for epsilon sub p (E subgamma) conversion was successfully demonstrated for photons in the energy range approx 20 keV-1.5 MeV; the overall uncertainty can be controlled to be within 3%. In addition, a semi-empirical method has been developed to estimate the true-coincidence correction (COI) factor for well-type HPGe detector. Results based on sup 6 sup 0 Co, sup 1 sup 3 sup 9 Ce, sup 1 sup 3 sup 3 Ba and sup 5 sup 9 Fe sources indicated that the estimated COI factors are in good agreement with the experimentally validated COI values.

Full Text Available In mammalian cells, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs are primarily repaired by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ. The current model suggests that the Ku 70/80 heterodimer binds to DSB ends and recruits DNA-PKcs to form the active DNA-dependent protein kinase, DNA-PK. Subsequently, XRCC4, DNA ligase IV, XLF and most likely, other unidentified components participate in the final DSB ligation step. Therefore, DNA-PK plays a key role in NHEJ due to its structural and regulatory functions that mediate DSB end joining. However, recent studies show that additional DNA-PK-independent NHEJ pathways also exist. Unfortunately, the presence of DNA-PKcs appears to inhibit DNA-PK-independent NHEJ, and in vitro analysis of DNA-PK-independent NHEJ in the presence of the DNA-PKcs protein remains problematic. We have developed an in vitro assay that is preferentially active for DNA-PK-independent DSB repair based solely on its reaction conditions, facilitating coincident differential biochemical analysis of the two pathways. The results indicate the biochemically distinct nature of the end-joining mechanisms represented by the DNA-PK-dependent and -independent NHEJ assays as well as functional differences between the two pathways.

3D geological models commonly built to manage natural resources are much affected by uncertainty because most of the subsurface is inaccessible to direct observation. Appropriate ways to intuitively visualize uncertainties are therefore critical to draw appropriate decisions. However, empirical assessments of uncertainty visualization for decision making are currently limited to 2D map data, while most geological entities are either surfaces embedded in a 3D space or volumes. This paper first reviews a typical example of decision making under uncertainty, where uncertainty visualization methods can actually make a difference. This issue is illustrated on a real Middle East oil and gas reservoir, looking for the optimal location of a new appraisal well. In a second step, we propose a user study that goes beyond traditional 2D map data, using 2.5D pressure data for the purposes of well design. Our experiments study the quality of adjacent versus coincident representations of spatial uncertainty as compared to the presentation of data without uncertainty; the representations' quality is assessed in terms of decision accuracy. Our study was conducted within a group of 123 graduate students specialized in geology.

Growing evidence suggests environmental change to be most severe across the semi-arid subtropics, with past, present and projected drying of the Mediterranean Basin posing a key multidisciplinary challenge. Consideration of a single climatic factor, however, often fails to explain spatiotemporal growth dynamics of drought-prone ecosystems. Here, we present annually resolved and absolutely dated ring width measurements of 871 Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) from 18 individual plot sites in the Central Spanish Pinar Grande forest reserve. Although comprising tree ages from 6 to 175 years, this network correlates surprisingly well with the inverse May-July diurnal temperature range (r = 0.84; p Atlantic Oscillation, and the long-term growth decline coincided with Iberian-wide drying since the mid-1970s. Climate model simulations not only confirm this negative trend over the last decades but also project drought to continuously increase over the 21st century. Associated ecological effects and socio-economic consequences should be considered to improve adaptation strategies of agricultural and forest management, as well as biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common cause of abnormal liver biochemistry and cryptogenic cirrhosis. Those with NAFLD have a higher prevalence of atherosclerosis, as shown by increased carotid artery intimal media thickness (CIMT). The aim of this study is to assess the co-incidence and prevalence between NAFLD and carotid atherosclerosis. In this study seventy-two subjects were categorized into 2 groups. GI: 52 patients diagnosed as NAFLD with diabetes mellitus type 2 or obesity or hyperlipedemia. GII: 20 diseased controls diagnosed as NAFLD without other predisposing factor. CIMT and plaque prevalence were estimated by carotid ultrasonography as a single trained operator who was blind to clinical characteristics of participants. The results showed that CIMT by carotid duplex ultrasonography was significantly higher in group A than group B but CIMT did not reveal any significant difference as regards to the etiology of NAFLD. CIMT was significantly higher in cases with bright liver than those with homogenous liver (by abdominal US) in group I and II. CIMT was significantly higher in those with moderate steatosis than those with mild steatosis (in GI & GII).

Surgery for massive abdominal tumors is both interesting and challenging. We present a case involving a multiple uterine myoma weighing 6.2 Kg which coincided with omental leiomyosarcoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this type of condition in the English literature. A 44-year-old nulliparous woman had suffered from abdominal pain for a long time. A huge abdominal mass was palpated on physical examination. Computed tomography scanning revealed a huge pelvic-abdominal mass with the possibility of small bowel loops invaded by the mass. A 6-cm omental mass was incidentally found during the subsequent hysterectomy procedure. Perforation of the urinary bladder occurred during the dissection of adhesion. Resection of the omental mass, wide wedge resection of the invaded small bowel, primary repair of the bladder, and hysterectomy were performed. The final pathologic diagnosis was uterine leiomyomata with omental leiomyosarcoma. The patient returned home on postoperative day 14 and was well at the 18-month follow-up examination. The challenge of these tumors lies in their proper diagnosis and surgical management. More case reports and follow-up studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of their management.

A wide variety of neurons encode temporal information via phase-locked spikes. In the avian auditory brainstem, neurons in the cochlear nucleus magnocellularis (NM) send phase-locked synaptic inputs to coincidence detector neurons in the nucleus laminaris (NL) that mediate sound localization. Previous modeling studies suggested that converging phase-locked synaptic inputs may give rise to a periodic oscillation in the membrane potential of their target neuron. Recent physiological recordings in vivo revealed that owl NL neurons changed their spike rates almost linearly with the amplitude of this oscillatory potential. The oscillatory potential was termed the sound analog potential, because of its resemblance to the waveform of the stimulus tone. The amplitude of the sound analog potential recorded in NL varied systematically with the interaural time difference (ITD), which is one of the most important cues for sound localization. In order to investigate the mechanisms underlying ITD computation in the NM-NL circuit, we provide detailed theoretical descriptions of how phase-locked inputs form oscillating membrane potentials. We derive analytical expressions that relate presynaptic, synaptic, and postsynaptic factors to the signal and noise components of the oscillation in both the synaptic conductance and the membrane potential. Numerical simulations demonstrate the validity of the theoretical formulations for the entire frequency ranges tested (1-8 kHz) and potential effects of higher harmonics on NL neurons with low best frequencies (<2 kHz).

We report an experimental investigation of homochiral cluster formation in seeded molecular beam expansions of (2R,3R)-butanediol. Synchrotron radiation vacuum ultraviolet photoionization measurements have been performed using a double imaging electron-ion spectrometer in various configurations and modes of operation. These include measurements of the cluster ion mass spectra, wavelength scanned ion yields, and threshold electron spectra. Protonated cluster ions ranging up to n = 7 have been observed and size-selected photoelectron spectra and photoelectron circular dichroism (PECD) have been recorded by velocity map imaging, recorded in coincidence with ions, at a number of fixed photon energies. Translation temperatures of the cluster ions have been further examined by ion imaging measurements. As well as the sequence of protonated clusters with integral numbers of butanediol monomer units, a second series with half-integral monomer masses is observed and deduced to result from a facile cleavage of a butanediol monomer moiety within the nascent cluster. This second sequence of half-integral masses displays quite distinct behaviours. PECD measurements are used to show that the half-integral mass cluster ions do not share a common parentage with whole integer masses. Using an analogy developed with simple theoretical calculations of butanediol dimer structures, it is inferred that the dissociative branching into integral and half-integral ion mass sequences is controlled by the presence of different butanediol monomer conformations within the hydrogen bonded clusters.

This letter explains a new, highly sensitive method for the detection of neutrons, which uses the T$_{1/2}=845$ ns delay in the decay of $^{128}$I at the 137.8 keV energy level, resulting from the capture of thermal neutrons by iodine nuclei in NaI and CsI scintillation detectors. The use of delayed coincidence techniques with a several $\\mu {\\rm s}$ time frame for delayed events allows for the highly effective discrimination of neutron events from any existing background signals. A comparison of ambient neutron measurements between those identified through the suggested method from a cylindrical, \\o$\\, 63 \\, {\\rm mm}\\times 63\\, {\\rm mm}$ NaI(Tl) scintillator and those from a low-background proportional $^3$He counter experimentally demonstrates the efficacy of this neutron detection method. For an isotropic, $4\\pi$, thermal neutron flux of 1 ${\\rm n}\\, {\\rm cm}^{-2}\\, {\\rm s}^{-1}$, the absolute sensitivity of the NaI detector was found to be $6.5 \\pm 1\\, {\\rm counts}\\, {\\rm s}^{-1}$ with a background of $0....

The very neutron-deficient Pb isotopes are of much current interest because they exhibit shape coexistence between a spherical groundstate and a deformed prolate excited configuration located very low in excitation energy. Last year the nucleus {sup 186}Pb was studied at the FMA in an FMA-{gamma}-{gamma} coincidence experiment. The purpose of the present measurement was to delineate, for the first time, the groundstate and near groundstate excitations in the odd Pb isotopes {sup 189,187}Pb in order to identify the orbitals which have an important role in driving the nuclear shape. The experiment was performed only very recently at the FMA with 10 Compton-suppressed Ge detectors from the Argonne Notre Dame BGO Gamma-Ray facility. {sup 187}Pb was studied with the {sup 155}Gd({sup 36}Ar,4n) reaction at 179 MeV, while {sup 189}Pb was reached with the {sup 158}Gd({sup 36}Ar,5n) reaction at the same beam energy. The analysis just began. It can already be stated that transitions in both Pb isotopes were identified and that it should be possible to establish level schemes. The presence of possible isomeric states in {sup 189}Pb will be checked in a follow-up experiment planned in Canberra. A similar measurement on {sup 187}Pb appears very difficult because of the very small cross section involved.

Bone involvement in Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (LCH) is common. Both bone scintigraphy and plain films are used to identify osseous lesions, but lack specificity for disease activity and response to therapy. FDG-PET is a sensitive technique for identifying bone lesions when histiocytes are present. To describe the potential of coincidence FDG-PET (cFDG-PET) for identification of active bone lesions in LCH and to determine whether it can provide more specific information regarding lesional response to therapy than bone scintigraphy or radiography. The clinical data and imaging findings of three patients with osseous lesions of LCH were retrospectively reviewed. cFDG-PET identified all active LCH osseous lesions in these patients, differentiated active from healed lesions, and demonstrated normalization of uptake in a treated lesion earlier than bone scintigraphy and radiography. cFDG-PET appears to have greater specificity than bone scintigraphy and radiography for the identification of active osseous lesions in LCH. It also may predict response to treatment earlier than conventional techniques. Its use in the evaluation of LCH warrants further study. (orig.)

In mammalian cells, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are primarily repaired by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). The current model suggests that the Ku 70/80 heterodimer binds to DSB ends and recruits DNA-PKcs to form the active DNA-dependent protein kinase, DNA-PK. Subsequently, XRCC4, DNA ligase IV, XLF and most likely, other unidentified components participate in the final DSB ligation step. Therefore, DNA-PK plays a key role in NHEJ due to its structural and regulatory functions that mediate DSB end joining. However, recent studies show that additional DNA-PK-independent NHEJ pathways also exist. Unfortunately, the presence of DNA-PKcs appears to inhibit DNA-PK-independent NHEJ, and in vitro analysis of DNA-PK-independent NHEJ in the presence of the DNA-PKcs protein remains problematic. We have developed an in vitro assay that is preferentially active for DNA-PK-independent DSB repair based solely on its reaction conditions, facilitating coincident differential biochemical analysis of the two pathways. The results indicate the biochemically distinct nature of the end-joining mechanisms represented by the DNA-PK-dependent and -independent NHEJ assays as well as functional differences between the two pathways. PMID:20706599

Using a computer-simulated anticipation-coincidence task, the main aim of the study was to examine the effect of the type of instruction on learning a temporal pattern. For this task, participants must learn to anticipate the appropriate time to launch a projectile to hit a moving target. The experiment involved three instructional conditions. In the Explicit-rule Discover Instruction Condition participants were informed that target speed could change from trial to trial and that change is controlled by a regular pattern. Their task was then to search, to identify, and to use such pattern to enhance their anticipation. In the Explicit-Informative Instruction Condition, participants were, however, allowed before practice to examine attentively the regular pattern. Participants were also explicitly urged to use the pattern they observed to ensure a better interception of the target. Finally, in the Implicit Instruction Condition, participants were only informed that their task was to hit, or at least, to place the projectile as near as possible to the target. No additional information was provied about the target's behaviour. Analysis indicated that learning the temporal pattern was more important in Implicit than in Explicit-rule Discover Instruction Condion. However, the Explicit-Informative Instruction Condition produced unambiguouslly the highest learning. Overall, the study highlights the role of information over guidance in the understanding of the effect of the instructions on learning. Finally, we discussed the implications of these results on the comprehension of the variability of the effects of the instruction on learning.

Full Text Available Vortex formation from a horizontal cylinder coincident with a free surface of a shallow water flow having a depth of 25.4 [mm] was experimentally investigated using the PIV technique. Instantaneous and time-averaged flow patterns in the wake region of the cylinder were examined for three different cylinder diameter values under the fully developed turbulent boundary layer condition. Reynolds numbers were in the range of 1124£ Re£ 3374 and Froude numbers were in the range of 0.41 £ Fr £ 0.71 based on the cylinder diameter. It was found that a jet-like flow giving rise to increasing the flow entrainment between the core and wake regions depending on the cylinder diameter was formed between the lower surface of the cylinder and bottom surface of the channel. Vorticity intensity, Reynolds stress correlations and the primary recirculating bubble lengths were grown to higher values with increasing the cylinder diameter. On the other hand, in the case of the lowest level of the jet-like flow emanating from the beneath of the smallest cylinder, the variation of flow characteristics were attenuated significantly in a shorter distance. The variation of the reattachment location of the separated flow to the free-surface is a strong function of the cylinder diameter and the Froude number.

Full Text Available Radar coincidence imaging (RCI is a high-resolution staring imaging technique without the limitation of the target relative motion. To achieve better imaging performance, sparse reconstruction is commonly used. While its performance is based on the assumption that the scatterers are located at the prediscretized grid-cell centers, otherwise, off-grid emerges and the performance of RCI degrades significantly. In this paper, RCI using frequency-hopping (FH waveforms is considered. The off-grid effects are analyzed, and the corresponding constrained Cramér-Rao bound (CCRB is derived based on the mean square error (MSE of the “oracle” estimator. For off-grid RCI, the process is composed of two stages: grid matching and off-grid error (OGE calibration, where two-dimension (2D band-excluded locally optimized orthogonal matching pursuit (BLOOMP and alternating iteration minimization (AIM algorithms are proposed, respectively. Unlike traditional sparse recovery methods, BLOOMP realizes the recovery in the refinement grids by overwhelming the shortages of coherent dictionary and is robust to noise and OGE. AIM calibration algorithm adaptively adjusts the OGE and, meanwhile, seeks the optimal target reconstruction result.

The densities of dark and baryonic matter are comparable: \\zeta = \\rho_D / \\rho_B ~ O(1). This is surprising because they are controlled by different combinations of low-energy physics parameters. Here we consider the probability distribution over \\zeta in the landscape. We argue that the Why Comparable problem can be solved without detailed anthropic assumptions, and independently of the nature of dark matter. Overproduction of dark matter suppresses the probability like 1/(1+\\zeta), if the causal patch is used to regulate infinities. This suppression can counteract a prior distribution favoring large \\zeta, selecting \\zeta ~ O(1). This effect not only explains the Why Comparable coincidence but also renders otherwise implausible models of dark matter viable. For the special case of axion dark matter, Wilczek and independently Freivogel have already noted that a 1/(1+\\zeta) suppression prevents overproduction of a GUT-scale QCD axion. If the dark matter is the LSP, the effect can explain the moderate fine-tu...

Ecological communities that experience stable climate conditions have been speculated to preserve more specialized interspecific associations and have higher proportions of smaller ranged species (SRS). Thus, areas with disproportionally large numbers of SRS are expected to coincide geographically with a high degree of community-level ecological specialization, but this suggestion remains poorly supported with empirical evidence. Here, we analysed data for hummingbird resource specialization, range size, contemporary climate, and Late Quaternary climate stability for 46 hummingbird–plant mutualistic networks distributed across the Americas, representing 130 hummingbird species (ca 40% of all hummingbird species). We demonstrate a positive relationship between the proportion of SRS of hummingbirds and community-level specialization, i.e. the division of the floral niche among coexisting hummingbird species. This relationship remained strong even when accounting for climate, furthermore, the effect of SRS on specialization was far stronger than the effect of specialization on SRS, suggesting that climate largely influences specialization through species' range-size dynamics. Irrespective of the exact mechanism involved, our results indicate that communities consisting of higher proportions of SRS may be vulnerable to disturbance not only because of their small geographical ranges, but also because of their high degree of specialization. PMID:26842573

To determine how much recovery of hibernating myocardium coincide with perfusion improvement, 49 patients underwent radionuclide left ventriculography and exercise Tl-201 myocardial scintigraphy (Ex-Tl) before and one month after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The left ventricle was divided into 6 segments for the assessment of wall motion and Tl-201 uptake. One month after CABG, wall motion improvement was found in a total of 74 segments (seg A), and was also associated with perfusion improvement in 66 segments (89%). Although 8 segments showed wall motion improvement at follow-up examinations (seg B), 7 (88%) had been improved for perfusion one month after CABG. Preoperative akinesis or dyskinesis was more frequently observed for seg B (75%) than seg A (34%). Similarly, seg B was associated with lower %Tl-201 uptake as compared with seg A (74{+-}9% vs 83{+-}8%). In conclusion, perfusion recovery preceded recovery of hibernating myocardium in some segments, suggesting the involvement of stunned myocardium. These segments were associated with severe wall motion abnormality before CABG and lower Tl-201 uptake. (N.K.).

The subject of signal processing for material noise reduction has been addressed in a large number of papers during the last decade. Several processing algorithms have been proposed, of which the Split Spectrum Processing (SSP) probably is the most renowned. The SSP technique is based on a synthetic frequency diversity approach, i.e. a filter bank is applied in order to obtain a set of signals with decorrelated noise components. Provided that the target echoes meet certain requirements, they will remain correlated in the generated set of signals. Target echo extraction may then be implemented using a suitable correlation measure. Simple target extractors such as Polarity Thresholding and Amplitude Minimization have been suggested and proven successful if the processing parameters had been correctly tuned. However, parameter tuning is not a trivial matter and relevant echoes may be lost due to the parameter sensitivity. In the paper a new target extraction algorithm, which avoids the requirement for a priori knowledge of frequency range, is introduced. The algorithm, referred to as Consecutive Polarity Coincidence, makes explicit use of the pulse characteristics of the target echo in order to implement local bandwidth estimation. If desired, a gating signal could be constructed by comparing the calculated bandwidth with a user defined threshold. Setting the threshold equal to the frequency range utilized for processing will generate a gating signal identical to the one obtained when using conventional Polarity Thresholding.

Cyanobacteria are among the most diverse prokaryotic phyla, with morphotypes ranging from unicellular to multicellular filamentous forms, including those able to terminally (i.e., irreversibly) differentiate in form and function. It has been suggested that cyanobacteria raised oxygen levels in the atmosphere around 2.45–2.32 billion y ago during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), hence dramatically changing life on the planet. However, little is known about the temporal evolution of cyanobacterial lineages, and possible interplay between the origin of multicellularity, diversification of cyanobacteria, and the rise of atmospheric oxygen. We estimated divergence times of extant cyanobacterial lineages under Bayesian relaxed clocks for a dataset of 16S rRNA sequences representing the entire known diversity of this phylum. We tested whether the evolution of multicellularity overlaps with the GOE, and whether multicellularity is associated with significant shifts in diversification rates in cyanobacteria. Our results indicate an origin of cyanobacteria before the rise of atmospheric oxygen. The evolution of multicellular forms coincides with the onset of the GOE and an increase in diversification rates. These results suggest that multicellularity could have played a key role in triggering cyanobacterial evolution around the GOE. PMID:23319632

Full Text Available Let be a real Hausdorff topological vector space. In the present paper, the concepts of the transfer positive hemicontinuity and strictly transfer positive hemicontinuity of set-valued maps in are introduced (condition of strictly transfer positive hemicontinuity is stronger than that of transfer positive hemicontinuity and for maps and defined on a nonempty compact convex subset of , we describe how some ideas of K. Fan have been used to prove several new, and rather general, conditions (in which transfer positive hemicontinuity plays an important role that a single-valued map has a zero, and, at the same time, we give various characterizations of the class of those pairs and maps that possess coincidences and fixed points, respectively. Transfer positive hemicontinuity and strictly transfer positive hemicontinuity generalize the famous Fan upper demicontinuity which generalizes upper semicontinuity. Furthermore, a new type of continuity defined here essentially generalizes upper hemicontinuity (the condition of upper demicontinuity is stronger than the upper hemicontinuity. Comparison of transfer positive hemicontinuity and strictly transfer positive hemicontinuity with upper demicontinuity and upper hemicontinuity and relevant connections of the results presented in this paper with those given in earlier works are also considered. Examples and remarks show a fundamental difference between our results and the well-known ones.

Several theories have proposed a functional role for synchronous neuronal firing in generating the neural code of a sensory perception. Synchronous neural activity develops during a critical postnatal period of cortical maturation, and severely reducing neural activity in a sensory pathway during this period could interfere with the development of coincident discharge among cortical neurons. Loss of such synchrony could provide a fundamental mechanism for the degradation of acuity shown in behavioral studies. We tested the hypothesis that synchronous discharge of barrel cortex neurons would fail to develop after sensory deprivation produced by bilateral whisker trimming from birth to postnatal day 60. By studying the correlated discharge of cortical neuron pairs, we found evidence for strong correlated firing in control animals, and this synchrony was almost absent among pairs of cortical barrel neurons in deprived animals. The degree of synchrony impairment was different in subregions of rat barrel cortex. The model that best fits the data is that cortical neurons receiving direct inputs from the primary sensory (lemniscal) pathway show the greatest decrement in synchrony following sensory deprivation, while neurons with diverse inputs from other areas of thalamus and cortex are relatively less affected in this dimension of cortical function.

In July 1988, 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate was discharged by the South West Water Authority into the drinking water supplied to a large region of North Cornwall. Up to 20,000 people were exposed to concentrations of aluminium which were 500-3000 times the acceptable limit under European Union legislation (0.200 mg/l). Although this incident is currently the topic of a government inquiry, nothing is known about its longer-term repercussions on human health. The first neuropathological examination of a person who was exposed and died of an unspecified neurological condition was carried out. A rare form of sporadic early-onset beta amyloid angiopathy in cerebral cortical and leptomeningeal vessels, and in leptomeningeal vessels over the cerebellum was identified. In addition, high concentrations of aluminium were found coincident with the severely affected regions of the cortex. Although the presence of aluminium is highly unlikely to be adventitious, determining its role in the observed neuropathology is impossible. A clearer understanding of aluminium's role in this rare form of Alzheimer's related disease should be provided by future research on other people from the exposed population as well as similar neuropathologies in people within or outside this group.

Full Text Available Background: The cytologic diagnosis of Small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia (SLL/CLL often relies on finding a small lymphoid population with the characteristic immunoprofile by ancillary testing. There are only a few reports of other processes identified with SLL/CLL. The aim of this study was to review the fine needle aspiration (FNA and touch prep (TP diagnoses of SLL/CLL in order to identify any coincident entities. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all FNA and TP cytology cases between January 2005 and May 2009 with a diagnosis of SLL/CLL to determine the presence of any coincident process. Results: We identified 29 cases, including 23 FNAs and six TPs, from 23 patients. Ancillary studies were utilized in 97% of the cases, including flow cytometry (FC, 79%, immunohistochemistry (IHC, 55%, fluorescent in situ hybridization studies (24% and special stains (7%. Coincident entities were identified in nine cases (31% and included seven (28% neoplastic entities (Hodgkin lymphoma [HL], adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, seminoma and two (7% non-neoplastic entities (infection and immunoglobulin containing cells. Six cases (21% suspicious for large cell transformation were also identified. Conclusion: In our review of SLL/CLL, coincident entities were present in 31% of the cases and included a spectrum of non-neoplastic and neoplastic processes. FC was the most frequently utilized ancillary test, but IHC provided important information by excluding a mantle cell lymphoma or confirming a coincident process. Thus, cytomorphologic evaluation in these patients is important due to the high risk of a coincident process that may not be apparent by FC alone and may require clinical management.

We present the experimental isotopic distributions of the 18 N projectile fragmentation products Li, Be,B and Cin coincidence with neutrons, as well as the inclusive ones on 197 Au and 9Be targets. In the framework of theabrasion-ablation model, these distributions are calculated for various nucleon density distributions of the projec-tile. The comparison with experimental isotopic distributions of the projectile-like fragments in coincidence withneutrons shows that the information on the nucleon density distribution of the 18N projectile can be extracted.

The information obtained during a coincidence experiment, recorded on magnetic tape by a MULTI-8 minicomputer, is transferred to a new tape in 36 bit words, using the program LEC0M8. The classification in two dimensional matrix form is carried out off-line, on a magnetic disk file, by the program CLAFI. On finishing classification one obtains a copy of the coincidence matrix on the second magnetic tape. Both programs are written to be processed in that order with the UNIVAC 1106 computer of J.E.N. (Author) 4 refs.

Exclusive measurements of light particles, deuterons, tritons and alphas, in coincidence with Evaporation Residues (ER), were performed at the Holified Heavy Ion Research Facility of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory using the large detector array HILI (Heavy Ion Light Ion). Heavy fragments produced in the reaction (Z 35), were stopped in the Ionisation Chamber, where their energy, atomic number (Z) and position were measured. Coincident light particles, were detected in the 192 element hodoscope placed behind the chamber, where its charge (Z) and energy were measured. Also the time of flight relative to the radio frequency of the cyclotron, allowed identification of protons deuterons and tritons.

TASISpec (TASCA in Small Image mode Spectroscopy) combines composite Ge- and Si-detectors for a new detector setup aimed towards multi-coincidence {gamma}-ray, X-ray, conversion electron, fission fragment, and {alpha}-particle spectroscopy of the heaviest nuclei. It exploits the TASCA separator's unique small image focal mode, i.e. the fact that evaporation residues produced in fusion-evaporation reactions can be focused into an area of less than 3 cm in diameter. This provides the possibility to pack detectors in very close geometry, resulting in an unprecedented detection efficiency of radioactive decays in prompt and delayed coincidence with implanted nuclei.

The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research and National Science Foundation, in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), coordinated a controlled study of the use of pulse-based terrestrial lidar and phase-based airborne lidar systems to detect topographic changes and ground deformations in areas of buried pipelines subject to earthquakes and storm-induced landslides. Terrestrial and airborne lidar scans were performed at three LADWP sites in the Los Angeles region and their accuracy was evaluated using coincident high-precision total station survey measurements as a control. Horizontal accuracy was evaluated through the measurement of latitude Northing and longitude Easting (standardized to WGS84) residuals for distances separating well defined objects in the lidar scans, such as buildings and tanks. The bias and dispersion of lidar elevation measurements (standardized to NGVD88) was assessed at a flat un-vegetated site near the Los Angeles Reservoir before and after carefully measured trenching, and at a heavily vegetated and steeply sloping site at Power Plant 2 in San Francisquito Canyon. At the trench site, airborne lidar showed minimal bias and standard deviation (6-20 cm), whereas terrestrial lidar was nearly unbiased with very low dispersion (4-6 cm). Pre- and post-trench bias-adjusted normalized residuals are essentially randomly scattered, but elevation change was affected by relative bias within epochs. At the PP2 site, airborne lidar showed minimal elevation bias and a standard deviation of approximately 50 cm, whereas terrestrial lidar demonstrated large bias and dispersion (on order of meters) due the inability of side-looking ground-based lidar to penetrate heavy vegetation. With careful calibration, both terrestrial and airborne lidar are capable of measuring centimeter-to decimeter level ground displacements for large features in areas of minimal vegetation, whereas their application is

Coincident monitoring of the spatiotemporal distribution of and interactions between land, soil, and permafrost properties is important for advancing our understanding of ecosystem dynamics. In this study, a novel monitoring strategy was developed to quantify complex Arctic ecosystem responses to the seasonal freeze-thaw-growing season conditions. The strategy exploited autonomous measurements obtained through electrical resistivity tomography to monitor soil properties, pole-mounted optical cameras to monitor vegetation dynamics, point probes to measure soil temperature, and periodic manual measurements of thaw layer thickness, snow thickness, and soil dielectric permittivity. The spatially and temporally dense monitoring data sets revealed several insights about tundra system behavior at a site located near Barrow, AK. In the active layer, the soil electrical conductivity (a proxy for soil water content) indicated an increasing positive correlation with the green chromatic coordinate (a proxy for vegetation vigor) over the growing season, with the strongest correlation (R = 0.89) near the typical peak of the growing season. Soil conductivity and green chromatic coordinate also showed significant positive correlations with thaw depth, which is influenced by soil and surface properties. In the permafrost, soil electrical conductivity revealed annual variations in solute concentration and unfrozen water content, even at temperatures well below 0°C in saline permafrost. These conditions may contribute to an acceleration of long-term thaw in Coastal permafrost regions. Demonstration of this first aboveground and belowground geophysical monitoring approach within an Arctic ecosystem illustrates its significant potential to remotely "visualize" permafrost, soil, and vegetation ecosystem codynamics in high resolution over field relevant scales.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a computerized method to quantify the coincidence between portal image graticules and radiation field centers or radiation isocenter. Three types of graticules were included in this study: Megavoltage (MV) mechanical graticule, MV electronic portal imaging device digital graticule, and kilovoltage (kV) on-board imaging digital graticule. Methods: A metal ball bearing (BB) was imaged with MV and kV x-ray beams in a procedure similar to a Winston-Lutz test. The radiation fields, graticules, and BB were localized in eight portal images using Hough transform-based computer algorithms. The center of the BB served as a static reference point in the 3D space so that the distances between the graticule centers and the radiation field centers were calculated. The radiation isocenter was determined from the radiation field centers at different gantry angles. Results: Misalignments of MV and kV portal imaging graticules varied with the gantry or x-ray source angle as a result of mechanical imperfections of the linear accelerator and its imaging system. While the three graticules in this study were aligned to the radiation field centers and the radiation isocenter within 2.0 mm, misalignments of 1.5-2.0 mm were found at certain gantry angles. These misalignments were highly reproducible with the gantry rotation. Conclusions: A simple method was developed to quantify the alignments of portal image graticules directly against the radiation field centers or the radiation isocenter. The advantage of this method is that it does not require the BB to be placed exactly at the radiation isocenter through a precalibrated surrogating device such as room lasers or light field crosshairs. The present method is useful for radiation therapy modalities that require high-precision portal imaging such as image-guided stereotactic radiotherapy.

Full Text Available A novel method for direct electronic “fast-timing” lifetime measurements of nuclear excited states via γ-γ coincidences using an array equipped with N very fast high-resolution LaBr3(Ce scintillator detectors is presented. The generalized centroid difference method provides two independent “start” and “stop” time spectra obtained without any correction by a superposition of the N(N – 1/2 calibrated γ-γ time difference spectra of the N detector fast-timing system. The two fast-timing array time spectra correspond to a forward and reverse gating of a specific γ-γ cascade and the centroid difference as the time shift between the centroids of the two time spectra provides a picosecond-sensitive mirror-symmetric observable of the set-up. The energydependent mean prompt response difference between the start and stop events is calibrated and used as a single correction for lifetime determination. These combined fast-timing array mean γ-γ zero-time responses can be determined for 40 keV < Eγ < 1.4 MeV with a precision better than 10 ps using a 152Eu γ-ray source. The new method is described with examples of (n,γ and (n,f,γ experiments performed at the intense cold-neutron beam facility PF1B of the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France, using 16 LaBr3(Ce detectors within the EXILL&FATIMA campaign in 2013. The results are discussed with respect to possible systematic errors induced by background contributions.

Unraveling and controlling chemical dynamics requires techniques to image structural changes of molecules with femtosecond temporal and picometer spatial resolution. Ultrashort-pulse x-ray free-electron lasers have significantly advanced the field by enabling advanced pump-probe schemes. There is an increasing interest in using table-top photon sources enabled by high-harmonic generation of ultrashort-pulse lasers for such studies. We present a novel high-harmonic source driven by a 100 kHz fiber laser system, which delivers 10$^{11}$ photons/s in a single 1.3 eV bandwidth harmonic at 68.6 eV. The combination of record-high photon flux and high repetition rate paves the way for time-resolved studies of the dissociation dynamics of inner-shell ionized molecules in a coincidence detection scheme. First coincidence measurements on CH$_3$I are shown and it is outlined how the anticipated advancement of fiber laser technology and improved sample delivery will, in the next step, allow pump-probe studies of ultrafas...

A Compton telescope for dose monitoring in hadron therapy consisting of several layers of continuous LaBr3 crystals coupled to silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays is under development within the ENVISION project. In order to test the possibility of employing such detectors for the telescope, a detector head consisting of a continuous 16 mm×18 mm×5 mm LaBr3 crystal coupled to a SiPM array has been assembled and characterized, employing the SPIROC1 ASIC as readout electronics. The best energy resolution obtained at 511 keV is 6.5% FWHM and the timing resolution is 3.1 ns FWHM. A position determination method for continuous crystals is being tested, with promising results. In addition, the detector has been operated in time coincidence with a second detector layer, to determine the coincidence capabilities of the system. The first tests are satisfactory, and encourage the development of larger detectors that will compose the telescope prototype.

A Compton telescope for dose monitoring in hadron therapy consisting of several layers of continuous LaBr{sub 3} crystals coupled to silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays is under development within the ENVISION project. In order to test the possibility of employing such detectors for the telescope, a detector head consisting of a continuous 16 mm Multiplication-Sign 18 mm Multiplication-Sign 5 mm LaBr{sub 3} crystal coupled to a SiPM array has been assembled and characterized, employing the SPIROC1 ASIC as readout electronics. The best energy resolution obtained at 511 keV is 6.5% FWHM and the timing resolution is 3.1 ns FWHM. A position determination method for continuous crystals is being tested, with promising results. In addition, the detector has been operated in time coincidence with a second detector layer, to determine the coincidence capabilities of the system. The first tests are satisfactory, and encourage the development of larger detectors that will compose the telescope prototype.

Amphibians highlight the global biodiversity crisis because ∼40% of all amphibian species are currently in decline. Species have disappeared even in protected habitats (e.g., the enigmatic extinction of the golden toad, Bufo periglenes, from Costa Rica). The emergence of a fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been implicated in a number of declines that have occurred in the last decade, but few studies have been able to test retroactively whether Bd emergence was linked to earlier declines and extinctions. We describe a noninvasive PCR sampling technique that detects Bd in formalin-preserved museum specimens. We detected Bd by PCR in 83-90% (n = 38) of samples that were identified as positive by histology. We examined specimens collected before, during, and after major amphibian decline events at established study sites in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. A pattern of Bd emergence coincident with decline at these localities is revealed-the absence of Bd over multiple years at all localities followed by the concurrent emergence of Bd in various species at each locality during a period of population decline. The geographical and chronological emergence of Bd at these localities also indicates a southbound spread from southern Mexico in the early 1970s to western Guatemala in the 1980s/1990s and to Monteverde, Costa Rica by 1987. We find evidence of a historical "Bd epidemic wave" that began in Mexico and subsequently spread to Central America. We describe a technique that can be used to screen museum specimens from other amphibian decline sites around the world.

Full text. The purpose of this study to evaluate the impact of FDG scan performed on an ordinary CDET gamma camera on the therapeutic management of patients with pulmonary nodules or with suspicion of recurrent colorectal carcinoma. Methods: two tomoscintigrams (thorax and abdomen) were acquired, using a PICKER Prism XP 2000 coincidence gamma camera, 45 m after i.v. injection of 100-150 MBq of {sup 18} F-FDG in fasting patients. The 21 pts were explored in July or August 1997. Preliminary results: among 12 patients with pulmonary nodules, the planed surgery was replaced by chemotherapy after visualization of unknown metastases accumulating FDG in 3 patients. In another one, the high uptake of FDG by a lung nodule which has been known for 6 years, led to surgery and objectivation of an adenocarcinoma. In one case, the absence of FDG uptake corresponded to an abscess (true negative result). In the other 7 patients, the indication of surgery was confirmed but the procedure was modified in 2 cases. In case of suspicion of recurrent colorectal carcinoma (9 patients), the finding of a single focus of FDG uptake whereas CT scan was negative or inconclusive let do the decision of surgery in 3 patients. In one patient with pelvic pain without increase of tumor markers levels and with normal CT scan, a normal FDG scan confirmed the physician`s hypothesis of pain due to the previous therapy but do not recurrence. In one patient, the finding of 3 foci of uptake of FDG whereas CT scan was inconclusive confirmed the indication of chemotherapy. In 2 patients with FDG abdominal foci without morphologic abnormalities, the therapeutic strategy is not yet decided in 2 patients, no foci could be found. In conclusion, these preliminary results show that FDG scan has provided a help to the physician indecision-making for therapeutic strategy in 8 patients on 21 (38%) and a help to the surgeon in 2 more cases (48% as a whole)

Tracking and preventing the spillover of disease from wildlife to livestock can be difficult when rare outbreaks occur across large landscapes. In these cases, broad scale ecological studies could help identify risk factors and patterns of risk to inform management and reduce incidence of disease. Between 2002 and 2014, 21 livestock herds in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) were affected by brucellosis, a bacterial disease caused by Brucella abortus, while no affected herds were detected between 1990 and 2001. Using a Bayesian analysis, we examined several ecological covariates that may be associated with affected livestock herds across the region. We showed that livestock risk has been increasing over time and expanding outward from the historical nexus of brucellosis in wild elk on Wyoming’s feeding grounds where elk are supplementally fed during the winter. Although elk were the presumed source of cattle infections, occurrences of affected livestock herds were only weakly associated with the density of seropositive elk across the GYA. However, the shift in livestock risk did coincide with recent increases in brucellosis seroprevalence in unfed elk populations. As increasing brucellosis in unfed elk likely stemmed from high levels of the disease in fed elk, disease-related costs of feeding elk have probably been incurred across the entire GYA, rather than solely around the feeding grounds. Our results suggest that focused disease mitigation in areas where seroprevalence in unfed elk is high could reduce the spillover of brucellosis to livestock. We also highlight the need to better understand the epidemiology of spillover events with detailed histories of disease testing, calving, and movement of infected livestock. Finally, we recommend using case-control studies to investigate local factors important to livestock risk.

We study the Universe at the late stage of its evolution and deep inside the cell of uniformity. At such a scale the Universe is highly inhomogeneous and filled with discretely distributed inhomogeneities in the form of galaxies and groups of galaxies. As a matter source, we consider dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) with a non-linear interaction Q = 3 HγεbarDEεbarDM /(εbarDE +εbarDM) , where γ is a constant. We assume that DM is pressureless and DE has a constant equation of state parameter w. In the considered model, the energy densities of the dark sector components present a scaling behaviour with εbarDM /εbarDE ∼(a0 / a) - 3(w + γ). We investigate the possibility that the perturbations of DM and DE, which are interacting among themselves, could be coupled to the galaxies with the former being concentrated around them. To carry our analysis, we consider the theory of scalar perturbations (within the mechanical approach), and obtain the sets of parameters (w , γ) which do not contradict it. We conclude that two sets: (w = - 2 / 3 , γ = 1 / 3) and (w = - 1 , γ = 1 / 3) are of special interest. First, the energy densities of DM and DE on these cases are concentrated around galaxies confirming that they are coupled fluids. Second, we show that for both of them, the coincidence problem is less severe than in the standard ΛCDM. Third, the set (w = - 1 , γ = 1 / 3) is within the observational constraints. Finally, we also obtain an expression for the gravitational potential in the considered model.

Photoelectron photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy could become a powerful tool for the time-resolved study of multi-channel gas phase chemical reactions. Toward this goal, we have designed and tested electron and ion optics that form the core of a new PEPICO spectrometer, utilizing simultaneous velocity map imaging for both cations and electrons, while also achieving good cation mass resolution through space focusing. These optics are combined with a side-sampled, slow-flow chemical reactor for photolytic initiation of gas-phase chemical reactions. Together with a recent advance that dramatically increases the dynamic range in PEPICO spectroscopy [D. L. Osborn et al., J. Chem. Phys. 145, 164202 (2016)], the design described here demonstrates a complete prototype spectrometer and reactor interface to carry out time-resolved experiments. Combining dual velocity map imaging with cation space focusing yields tightly focused photoion images for translationally cold neutrals, while offering good mass resolution for thermal samples as well. The flexible optics design incorporates linear electric fields in the ionization region, surrounded by dual curved electric fields for velocity map imaging of ions and electrons. Furthermore, the design allows for a long extraction stage, which makes this the first PEPICO experiment to combine ion imaging with the unimolecular dissociation rate constant measurements of cations to detect and account for kinetic shifts. Four examples are shown to illustrate some capabilities of this new design. We recorded the threshold photoelectron spectrum of the propargyl and the iodomethyl radicals. While the former agrees well with a literature threshold photoelectron spectrum, we have succeeded in resolving the previously unobserved vibrational structure in the latter. We have also measured the bimolecular rate constant of the CH2I + O2 reaction and observed its product, the smallest Criegee intermediate, CH2OO. Finally, the second

Imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence (iPEPICO) spectra of cyclopentadienone (C5H4=O and C5D4=O) have been measured at the Swiss Light Source Synchrotron (Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland) at the Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Beamline. Complementary to the photoelectron spectra, photoionisation efficiency curves were measured with tunable VUV radiation at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline at the Advanced Light Source Synchrotron (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA). For both experiments, molecular beams diluted in argon and helium were generated from the vacuum flash pyrolysis of o-phenylene sulphite in a resistively heated microtubular SiC flow reactor. The Franck-Condon profiles and ionisation energies were calculated at the CCSD(T) level of theory, and are in excellent agreement with the observed iPEPICO spectra. The ionisation energies of both cyclopentadienone-d0, IE(C5H4=O), and cyclopentadienone-d4, IE(C5D4=O), were observed to be the same: 9.41 ± 0.01 eV. The mass-selected threshold photoelectron spectrum (ms-TPES) of cyclopentadienone reveals that the C=C stretch in the ground state of the cation is excited upon ionisation, supporting computational evidence that the ground state of the cation is ? 2A2, and is in agreement with previous studies. However, the previously reported ionisation potential has been improved considerably in this work. In addition, since o-benzoquinone (o-O=C6H4=O and o-O=C6D4=O) is also produced in this process, its ms-TPES has been recorded. From the iPEPICO and photoionisation efficiency spectra, we infer an adiabatic ionisation energy of IE(o-O=C6H4=O) = 9.3 ± 0.1 eV, but the rather structureless spectrum indicates a strong change in geometry upon ionisation making this value less reliable.

True coincidence summing (TCS) occurs when two or more photons are emitted from the same decay of a radioactive nuclide and are detected within the resolving time of the gamma ray detector. TCS changes the net peak areas of the affected full energy peaks in the spectrum and the nuclide activity is rendered inaccurate if no correction is performed. TCS is independent of the count rate, but it is strongly dependent on the peak and total efficiency, as well as the characteristics of a given nuclear decay. The TCS effects are very prominent for well detectors because of the high efficiencies, and make accounting for TCS a necessity. For CANBERRA's recently released Small Anode Germanium (SAGe) well detector, an extension to CANBERRA's mathematical efficiency calibration method (In Situ Object Calibration Software or ISOCS, and Laboratory SOurceless Calibration Software or LabSOCS) has been developed that allows for calculation of peak and total efficiencies for SAGe well detectors. The extension also makes it possible to calculate TCS corrections for well detectors using the standard algorithm provided with CANBERRAS's Spectroscopy software Genie 2000. The peak and total efficiencies from ISOCS/LabSOCS have been compared to MCNP with agreements within 3% for peak efficiencies and 10% for total efficiencies for energies above 30 keV. A sample containing Ra-226 daughters has been measured within the well and analyzed with and without TCS correction and applying the correction factor shows significant improvement of the activity determination for the energy range 46–2447 keV. The implementation of ISOCS/LabSOCS for well detectors offers a powerful tool for efficiency calibration for these detectors. The automated algorithm to correct for TCS effects in well detectors makes nuclide specific calibration unnecessary and offers flexibility in carrying out gamma spectral analysis.

True coincidence summing (TCS) occurs when two or more photons are emitted from the same decay of a radioactive nuclide and are detected within the resolving time of the gamma ray detector. TCS changes the net peak areas of the affected full energy peaks in the spectrum and the nuclide activity is rendered inaccurate if no correction is performed. TCS is independent of the count rate, but it is strongly dependent on the peak and total efficiency, as well as the characteristics of a given nuclear decay. The TCS effects are very prominent for well detectors because of the high efficiencies, and make accounting for TCS a necessity. For CANBERRA's recently released Small Anode Germanium (SAGe) well detector, an extension to CANBERRA's mathematical efficiency calibration method (In Situ Object Calibration Software or ISOCS, and Laboratory SOurceless Calibration Software or LabSOCS) has been developed that allows for calculation of peak and total efficiencies for SAGe well detectors. The extension also makes it possible to calculate TCS corrections for well detectors using the standard algorithm provided with CANBERRAS's Spectroscopy software Genie 2000. The peak and total efficiencies from ISOCS/LabSOCS have been compared to MCNP with agreements within 3% for peak efficiencies and 10% for total efficiencies for energies above 30 keV. A sample containing Ra-226 daughters has been measured within the well and analyzed with and without TCS correction and applying the correction factor shows significant improvement of the activity determination for the energy range 46-2447 keV. The implementation of ISOCS/LabSOCS for well detectors offers a powerful tool for efficiency calibration for these detectors. The automated algorithm to correct for TCS effects in well detectors makes nuclide specific calibration unnecessary and offers flexibility in carrying out gamma spectral analysis.

We evaluated the usefulness of F-18 FDG coincidence PET (CoDe-PET) using a dual-head gamma camera in the assessment of patients with acute leukemia. F-18 FDG CoDE-PET studies were performed in 5 patients with acute leukemia (6 ALL and 2 AML) before or after treatment. CoDe-PET was performed utilizing a dual-head gamma camera equipped with 5/8 inch NaI(Tl) crystal. Image acquisition began 60 minutes after the injection of F-18 FDG in the fasting state. A whole trunk from cervical to inguinal regions or selected region were scanned. No attenuation correction was made and image reconstruction was done using filtered back-projection. CoDe-PET studies were evaluated visually. F-18 FDG image performed in 5 patients with ALL before therapy depicted multiple lymph node involvement and diffuse increased uptake involving axial skeleton, pelvis and femurs. F-18 FDG image done in 2 AML after chemotherapy showed only diffuse increased uptake in sternum, ribs, spine, pelvis and proximal femur and these may be due to G-CSF stimulation effect in view of drug history. But bone marrow histology showed scattered blast cell suggesting incomplete remission in one and completer remission in another. F-18 image done in 1 ALL after therapy showed no abnormal uptake. CoDe-PET with F-18 FDG in acute lymphoblastic lymphoma showed multiple lymphnode and bone marrow involvement in whole body. Therefore we conclude that CoDe-PET with F-18 FDG usefulness for evaluation of extent in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. But there was a limitation to assess therapy effectiveness during therapy due to reactive bone marrow.

A pneumonia epidemic reduced bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) survival and recruitment during 1997-2000 in a population comprised of three interconnected wintering herds (Kenosha Mountains, Sugarloaf Mountain, Twin Eagles) that inhabited the Kenosha and Tarryall Mountain ranges in central Colorado, USA. The onset of this epidemic coincided temporally and spatially with the appearance of a single domestic sheep (Ovis aires) on the Sugarloaf Mountain herd's winter range in December 1997. Although only bighorns in the Sugarloaf Mountain herd were affected in 1997-98, cases also occurred during 1998-99 in the other two wintering herds, likely after the epidemic spread via established seasonal movements of male bighorns. In all, we located 86 bighorn carcasses during 1997-2000. Three species of Pasteurella were isolated in various combinations from affected lung tissues from 20 bighorn carcasses where tissues were available and suitable for diagnostic evaluation; with one exception, beta-hemolytic mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica (primarily reported as biogroup 1(G) or 1(alphaG)) was isolated from lung tissues of cases evaluated during winter 1997-98. The epidemic dramatically lowered adult bighorn monthly survival in all three herds; a model that included an acute epidemic effect, differing between sexes and with vaccination status, that diminished linearly over the next 12 mo best represented field data. In addition to the direct mortality associated with epidemics in these three herds, lamb recruitment in years following the pneumonia epidemic also was depressed as compared to years prior to the epidemic. Based on observations presented here, pasteurellosis epidemics in free-ranging bighorn sheep can arise through incursion of domestic sheep onto native ranges, and thus minimizing contact between domestic and bighorn sheep appears to be a logical principle for bighorn sheep conservation.

The 235U mass assay of bulk uranium items, such as oxide canisters, fuel pellets, and fuel assemblies, is not achievable by traditional gamma-ray assay techniques due to the limited penetration of the item by the characteristic 235U gamma rays. Instead, fast neutron interrogation methods such as active neutron coincidence counting must be used. For international safeguards applications, the most commonly used active neutron systems, the Active Well Coincidence Counter (AWCC), Uranium Neutron Collar (UNCL) and 252Cf Shuffler, rely on fast neutron interrogation using an isotopic neutron source [i.e., 252Cf or Am(Li)] to achieve better measurement accuracies than are possible using gamma-ray techniques for high-mass, high-density items. However, the Am(Li) sources required for the AWCC and UNCL systems are no longer manufactured, and newly produced systems rely on limited supplies of sources salvaged from disused instruments. The 252Cf shuffler systems rely on the use of high-output 252Cf sources, which while still available have become extremely costly for use in routine operations and require replacement every five to seven years. Lack of a suitable alternative neutron interrogation source would leave a potentially significant gap in the safeguarding of uranium processing facilities. In this work, we made use of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) Large Volume Active Well Coincidence Counter (LV-AWCC) and a commercially available deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutron generator to examine the potential of the D-D neutron generator as an alternative to the isotopic sources. We present the performance of the LV-AWCC with D-D generator for the assay of 235U based on the results of Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) simulations and measurements of depleted uranium (DU), low enriched uranium (LEU), and highly enriched uranium (HEU) items.

Purpose To implement and evaluate an image-based Winston-Lutz (WL) test to measure the displacement between ExacTrac imaging origin and radiation isocenter on a Novalis Tx system using RIT V6.2 software analysis tools. Displacement between imaging and radiation isocenters was tracked over time. The method was applied for cone-based and MLC-based WL tests. Methods The Brainlab Winston-Lutz phantom was aligned to room lasers. The ExacTrac imaging system was then used to detect the Winston- Lutz phantom and obtain the displacement between the center of the phantom and the imaging origin. EPID images of the phantom were obtained at various gantry and couch angles and analyzed with RIT calculating the phantom center to radiation isocenter displacement. The RIT and Exactrac displacements were combined to calculate the displacement between imaging origin and radiation isocenter. Results were tracked over time. Results Mean displacements between ExacTrac origin and radiation isocenter were: VRT: −0.1mm ± 0.3mm, LNG: 0.5mm ± 0.2mm, LAT: 0.2mm ± 0.2mm (vector magnitude of 0.7 ± 0.2mm). Radiation isocenter was characterized by the mean of the standard deviations of the WL phantom displacements: σVRT: 0.2mm, σLNG: 0.4mm, σLAT: 0.6mm. The linac couch base was serviced to reduce couch walkout. This reduced σLAT to 0.2mm. These measurements established a new baseline of radiation isocenter-imaging origin coincidence. Conclusion The image-based WL test has ensured submillimeter localization accuracy using the ExacTrac imaging system. Standard deviations of ExacTrac-radiation isocenter displacements indicate that average agreement within 0.3mm is possible in each axis. This WL test is a departure from the tradiational WL in that imaging origin/radiation isocenter agreement is the end goal not lasers/radiation isocenter.

Sb2Te3 films are used for studying the epitaxial registry between two-dimensionally bonded (2D) materials and three-dimensional bonded (3D) substrates. In contrast to the growth of 3D materials, it is found that the formation of coincidence lattices between Sb2Te3 and Si(111) depends on the geometry

Theoretical and experimental developments in the 1920s that accompanied the birth of coincidence methods, as well as later crucial applications during the 1930s and 1940s are presented. First, in 1924 Walther Bothe and Hans Geiger applied a coincidence method to the study of Compton scattering with Geiger needle counters. Their historical experiment confirmed the physical reality of radiation quanta and established beyond doubt the strict validity of conservation principles in elementary processes. Then, at the end of the 1920s, Bothe and Werner Kolh\\"orster coupled the coincidence technique with the brand-new Geiger-M\\"uller counter to study cosmic rays, and marked the start of cosmic-ray research as truly a branch of physics. In this framework the coincidence method was further refined by Bruno Rossi, who developed a vacuum-tube electronic device, capable of registering the simultaneous occurrence of electrical pulses from any number of counters with a tenfold improvement in time resolution. The electronic ...

We have investigated multielectron capture processes in collisions of Ar9+ on Ar by measuring the resulting Auger electrons in coincidence with charge-state-analyzed target ions. In this way it was possible to reconstruct partial electron energy spectra, each corresponding to a particular number of

Some new coincidence theorems involving admissible set-valued mappings are proved in general noncompact topological spaces. As applications, some new minimax inequalities, section theorem, best approximation theorem, existence theorems of weighted Nash equilibria and Pareto equilibria for multiobjective games are given in general topological spaces.

This paper is concerned with the relation between the compactness and sequential compactness in a topological space or a topological group, and show that the compactness and sequential compactness coincide in a topol.ogical group with the axiom (A1).

The ATHENA observatory is the second large-class ESA mission, in the context of the Cosmic Vision 2015 - 2025, scheduled to be launched on 2028 at L2 orbit. One of the two on-board instruments is the X-IFU (X-ray Integral Field Unit): it is a TES-based kilo-pixels order array able to perform simultaneous high-grade energy spectroscopy (2.5 eV at 6 keV) and imaging over the 5 arcmin FoV. The X-IFU sensitivity is degraded by the particles background which is induced by primary protons of both solar and Cosmic Rays origin, and secondary electrons. The studies performed by Geant4 simulations depict a scenario where it is mandatory the use of reduction techniques that combine an active anticoincidence detector and a passive electron shielding to reduce the background expected in L2 orbit down to the goal level of 0.005 cts/cm2/s/keV, so enabling the characterization of faint or diffuse sources (e.g. WHIM or Galaxy cluster outskirts). From the detector point of view this is possible by adopting a Cryogenic AntiCoincidence (CryoAC) placed within a proper optimized environment surrounding the X-IFU TES array. It is a 4-pixels detector made of wide area Silicon absorbers sensed by Ir TESes, and put at a distance < 1 mm below the TES-array. On October 2015 the X-IFU Phase A program has been kicked-off, and about the CryoAC is at present foreseen on early 2017 the delivery of the DM1 (Demonstration Model 1) to the FPA development team for integration, which is made of 1 pixel "bridgessuspended" that will address the final design of the CryoAC. Both the background studies and the detector development work is on-going to provide confident results about the expected residual background at the TES-array level, and the single pixel design to produce a detector for testing activity on 2016/2017. Here we will provide an overview of the CryoAC program, discussing some details about the background assessment having impact on the CryoAC design, the last single pixel characterization

Long-term monitoring of the Martian atmosphere by mapping instruments on sun-synchronous polar orbiters with slight orbital inclinations has two underutilized advantages for studying diurnal variability in atmospheric structure. First, the orbital pattern implies that the nightside orbit will be followed ~ 12 hours later by a dayside orbit that intersects it. That dayside orbit will be followed by a nightside orbit that itself intersects the dayside orbit ~ 12 hours previously at another point. These intersection points mostly occur in the tropics. At the poles, orbit convergence produces a similar effect, such that these semidiurnally separated orbits will have a number of nearly coincident observations in space that sample diurnal change in time. For limb sounders like the Mars Climate Sounder on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO-MCS), the horizontal resolution of the instrument at the limb may be comparable to the spatial separation between portions of sequentially intersecting dayside/nightside orbits. Indeed, this width (if simultaneously iterated) would resolve wavenumber 100 structures at the Equator. In other words, the characteristics of the instrument and orbiter combine to allow local, semidiurnal sampling of the atmosphere at synoptic or greater scales. This can be helpful at resolving diurnal and perhaps longitudinal variability when retrievals are typically successful on the nightside at different longitudes than they are successful on the dayside. Second, long-term monitoring allows fortuiitous observation of useful examples of interannual variability in the behavior of the atmosphere. Here, we will present a study of diurnal variability in the vertical dust distribution and other aspects of the atmospheric structure of Mars that makes use of the observational advantages of MRO-MCS as well as the fortuitous occurrence of a Mars Year without significant regional or global dust storm activity: the year before the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory

We present Monte Carlo computational methods for estimating the coincidence resolving time (CRT) of scintillator detector pairs in positron emission tomography (PET) and present results for Lu2SiO5 : Ce (LSO), LaBr3 : Ce, and a hypothetical ultra-fast scintillator with a 1 ns decay time. The calculations were applied to both single-ended and double-ended photodetector readout with constant-fraction triggering. They explicitly include (1) the intrinsic scintillator properties (luminosity, rise time, decay time, and index of refraction), (2) the exponentially distributed depths of interaction, (3) the optical photon transport efficiency, delay, and time dispersion, (4) the photodetector properties (fill factor, quantum efficiency, transit time jitter, and single electron response), and (5) the determination of the constant fraction trigger level that minimizes the CRT. The calculations for single-ended readout include the delayed photons from the opposite reflective surface. The calculations for double-ended readout include (1) the simple average of the two photodetector trigger times, (2) more accurate estimators of the annihilation photon entrance time using the pulse height ratio to estimate the depth of interaction and correct for annihilation photon, optical photon, and trigger delays, and (3) the statistical lower bound for interactions at the center of the crystal. For time-of-flight (TOF) PET we combine stopping power and TOF information in a figure of merit equal to the sensitivity gain relative to whole-body non-TOF PET using LSO. For LSO crystals 3 mm × 3 mm × 30 mm, a decay time of 37 ns, a total photoelectron count of 4000, and a photodetector with 0.2 ns full-width at half-maximum (fwhm) timing jitter, single-ended readout has a CRT of 0.16 ns fwhm and double-ended readout has a CRT of 0.111 ns fwhm. For LaBr3 : Ce crystals 3 mm × 3 mm × 30 mm, a rise time of 0.2 ns, a decay time of 18 ns, and a total of 7600 photoelectrons the CRT numbers are 0

"The Hot and Energetic Universe" is the scientific theme approved by the ESA SPC for a Large mission to be flown in the next ESA slot (2028th) timeframe. ATHENA is a space mission proposal tailored on this scientific theme. It will be the first X-ray mission able to perform the so-called "Integral field spectroscopy", by coupling a high-resolution spectrometer, the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU), to a high performance optics so providing detailed images of its field of view (5' in diameter) with an angular resolution of 5" and fine energy-spectra (2.5eV@E<7keV). The X-IFU is a kilo-pixel array based on TES (Transition Edge Sensor) microcalorimeters providing high resolution spectroscopy in the 0.2-12 keV range. Some goals is the detection of faint and diffuse sources as Warm Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) or galaxies outskirts. To reach its challenging scientific aims, it is necessary to shield efficiently the X-IFU instrument against background induced by external particles: the goal is 0.005 cts/cm^2/s/keV. This scientific requirement can be met by using an active Cryogenic AntiCoincidence (CryoAC) detector placed very close to X-IFU (~ 1 mm below). This is shown by our GEANT4 simulation of the expected background at L2 orbit. The CryoAC is a TES based detector as the X-IFU sharing with it thermal and mechanical interfaces, so increasing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the payload. It is a 2x2 array of microcalorimeter detectors made by Silicon absorber (each of about 80 mm^2 and 300 μm thick) and sensed by an Ir TES. This choice shows that it is possible to operate such a detector in the so-called athermal regime which gives a response faster than the X-IFU (< 30 μs), and low energy threshold (above few keV). Our consortium has developed and tested several samples, some of these also featured by the presence of Al-fins to efficiently collect the athermal phonons, and increased x-ray absorber area (up to 1 cm^2). Here the results of deep test

existence of divergent mitochondrial lineages within Cx. annulirostris and Cx. palpalis helps explain the difficulty of using adult morphology to identify Cx. annulirostris and its ecological diversity. Notably, the southern limit of the PNG lineages of Cx. annulirostris coincides exactly with the current southern limit of JEV activity in Australasia suggesting that variation in these COI lineages may be the key to why JEV has not yet established yet on mainland Australia.

Electron radiation belt dynamics are controlled by the competition of multiple acceleration and loss mechanisms. Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC), chorus, and hiss waves have all been implicated as potential loss mechanisms of radiation belt electrons along with Chorus waves proposed as a mechanism for accelerating the lower energy source population to MeV energies. Understanding the relative importance of these waves as well as where and under what conditions they are generated is vital to predicting radiation belt dynamics. Although the size of the solar wind compression on 9 January 2014 event discussed here was modest, it has given us an opportunity to observe clearly how a magnetospheric compression can lead to the generation of EMIC, chorus, and hiss waves. The ICME generated shock encountered the Earth's magnetosphere on 9 January 2014 at ~20:11 UT, and the Van Allen Probes observe the coincident excitation of EMIC and Chorus waves outside the plasmasphere, and hiss weaves inside the plasmasphere. As the shock encountered the magnetosphere, an electric field impulse was observed to generate an increase in temperature anisotropy for both ions and electrons. This increased temperature anisotropy led to increased wave growth on both the ion and electron cyclotron branches. The simultaneous generation of multiple types of waves may lead to significant impacts on the acceleration and loss of radiation belt electrons, especially during geomagnetic compressions observed during the substorms, and the storm sudden commencement and main phases of geomagnetic storms, as well as during quiet time sudden impulse events. For example, the excitation of both EMIC and chorus waves at the same place, and at the same time, may complicate studies seeking a causal connection between specific individual plasma wave bursts and observations of particle precipitation into the atmosphere. During this relatively small event BARREL had three payloads in conjunction with the Van

We present a newly constructed spectrometer for negative–ion/positive–ion coincidence spectroscopy of gaseous samples. The instrument consists of two time–of–flight ion spectrometers and a magnetic momentum filter for deflection of electrons. The instrument can measure double and triple coincidences between mass–resolved negative and positive ions with high detection efficiency. First results include identification of several negative–ion/positive–ion coincidence channels following inner-shell photoexcitation of sulfur hexafluoride (SF{sub 6})

Full Text Available The missing of flowering synchronization between the self-incompatible lines in a crop field of cauliflower hybrid seeds besides making the seed production smaller can compromise the genetic purity of them. The coincidence of the flowering time between two cauliflower lines was examined to study its effect on the productivity and quality of hybrid seeds. The treatments consisted of six different sowing dates, every fifteen days, using a self-incompatible tropical line pollinated by a winter line which does not present self-incompatibility. The following characteristics were evaluated: leaf average area and number of flowers per plant, number of siliques per plant, number and weight of seeds per plant, weight of thousand seeds and average number of seeds per silique. The germination standard test and genetic seed purity were determined for each treatment. The coincident flowering season between cauliflower lines affects directly the productivity and the genetic quality of the produced hybrid seeds. The closer the flowering time coincidence between the lines, the greater the number of seeds per silique and the smaller the percentage of non-hybrid seedlings. However, the coincidence of the flowering season between lines was found to influence physiological seed quality.A falta de sincronismo de florescimento entre as linhagens auto incompatíveis em um campo de produção de sementes híbridas de couve flor pode além de reduzir a produção de sementes comprometer a pureza genética das mesmas. Com o objetivo de estudar o efeito da coincidência de florescimento entre linhagens de couve-flor na produtividade e qualidade de sementes híbridas, foi realizado o presente experimento. Os tratamentos consistiram em seis diferentes épocas de semeadura, espaçadas a cada quinze dias, de uma linhagem de verão auto-incompatível que foi polinizada por uma linhagem de inverno que não apresenta auto-incompatibilidade. Observou-se a coincidência do

The two spectrometers have been achieved to tackle numerous problems of nuclear spectrometry. They possess different fields of application that complete themselves. The solenoidal spectrometer permits the determination of the energy limits of {beta} spectra and of their shape; it also permits the determination of the coefficients of internal conversion and reports {alpha}{sub K} / {alpha}{sub L} and it is especially efficient for the accurate energy levels of the {gamma} rays by photoelectric effect. The double coincidence spectrometer has been conceived to get a good efficiency in coincidence: indeed, the sum of the solid angles used for the {beta} and {gamma} emission is rather little lower to 4{pi} steradians. To get this efficiency, one should have sacrificed a little the resolution that is lower to the one obtained with the solenoidal spectrometer for a same brightness. Each of the elements of the double spectrometer can also be adapted to the study of angular correlations {beta}{gamma} and e{sup -}{gamma}. In this use, it is superior to the thin magnetic lens used up to here. The double spectrometer also permits the survey of the coincidences e{sup -}e{sup -}, e{sup -}{beta} of a equivalent way to a double lens; it can also be consider some adaptation for the survey of the angular correlations e{sup -}e{sup -}, e{sup -}{beta}. Finally, we applied the methods by simple spectrometry and by coincidence spectrometry, to the study of the radiances of the following radioelements: {sup 76}As (26 h), {sup 122}Sb (2,8 j), {sup 124}Sb (60 j), {sup 125}Sb (2,7 years). (M.B.) [French] Les deux spectrometres qui ont ete realises permettent d'aborder un grand nombre de problemes de spectrometrie nucleaire. Ils possedent des champs d'application tres differents qui se completent. Le spectrometre solenoidal permet la determination des energies limites des spectres {beta} et de leur forme; il permet aussi la determination des coefficients de conversion interne et

A technique to determine the isotopics of a mixed actinide sample has been proposed by measuring the coincidence of the alpha particle during radioactive decay with the conversion electron (or Auger) emitted during the relaxation of the daughter isotope. This presents a unique signature to allow the deconvolution of isotopes that possess overlapping alpha particle energy. The work presented here are results of conversion electron spectroscopy of 241Am, 238Pu and 239Pu using a dual-stage peltier-cooled 25 mm2 silicon drift detector. A passivated ion implanted planar silicon detector provided measurements of alpha spectroscopy. The conversion electron spectra were evaluated from 20–55 keV based on fits to the dominant conversion electron emissions, which allowed the relative conversion electron emission intensities to be determined. These measurements provide crucial singles spectral information to aid in the coincident measurement approach.

The production cross section and energy distribution of ionized projectile electrons are measured in coincidence with the target recoil ion charge state for 3 MeV C^+ projectiles colliding with Ar. Evidence for the importance of the electron-electron interaction is sought in the dependence of the cross section on the target recoil ion charge state and the shape of the energy distribution as a function of recoil ion charge state. While the coincidence yields suggest that the projectile electron-target electron interaction produces a significant fraction of the cusp electrons which have energy < 1 eV in the projectile frame, the measured cusp shapes are independent of recoil ion charge state. This suggest that the cusp shape is independent of the production mechanism and depends only on the interaction of the cusp electron with the remaining projectile ion.

Full Text Available An optimized single-channel phoswich well detector design has been proposed and assessed in order to improve beta-gamma coincidence measurement sensitivity of xenon radioisotopes. This newly designed phoswich well detector consists of a plastic beta counting cell (BC404 embedded in a CsI(Tl crystal coupled to a photomultiplier tube. The BC404 is configured in a cylindrical pipe shape to minimise light collection deterioration. The CsI(Tl crystal consists of a rectangular part and a semicylindrical scintillation part as a light reflector to increase light gathering. Compared with a PhosWatch detector, the final optimized detector geometry showed 15% improvement in the energy resolution of a 131mXe 129.4 keV conversion electron peak. The predicted beta-gamma coincidence efficiencies of xenon radioisotopes have also been improved accordingly.

{sup 201}Tl is used in nuclear medicine in cardiac imaging for evaluating the injury level in cardiac muscle at rest and exercise. In this work the activity concentration of a {sup 201}Tl radioactive solution has been absolutely determined using the 4πβ-γ coincidence and sum-peak coincidence methods. The presence of {sup 202}Tl radioactive impurity that imposes some difficult in the activity measurements was taken into account in the measurements. In the sum-peak method a planar germanium detector was used. The half-lives were evaluated by the reference source method and the results obtained were (3.033 ± 0.004) d and (12.320 ± 0.163) d, respectively, for {sup 201}Tl and {sup 202}Tl. (author)

A coincidence between the 2{sup 2}S{sub 1/2}-3{sup 2}S{sub 1/2} two-photon transition in the atomic spectrum of {sup 6}Li and the X {sup 1}{sigma}{sup +}{sub g}{yields} E {sup 1}{sigma}{sup +}{sub g} two-photon ro-vibrational series of {sup 7}Li{sub 2} was observed near 735 nm in a heat pipe oven using a tunable laser and thermionic diode detection scheme. The molecular transition obscures one component of the {sup 6}Li atomic transition. Selective detection of the atomic transition was obtained by adding an intensity-modulated laser that drives atoms from the 3S to 16P state. The coincident molecular transition and four nearby molecular lines were identified using previously determined Dunham coefficients.

Radionuclide {sup 68}Ge decays by electron capture (100%) to the {sup 68}Ga ground state with a half-life of 270.95 (26) days. The daughter nuclide {sup 68}Ga also disintegrates by electron capture (11.12%) but mainly by positron emission (88.88%) with a half life 67.83 (20) min to {sup 68}Zn. (Bé et al., 2004). Most of {sup 68}Ga decay goes to the ground state of {sup 68}Zn and only 3.38% of the decay goes to excited levels {sup 68}Zn which are followed by gamma transitions. Activity of {sup 68}Ge/{sup 68}Ga was determined based on coincidences event between positron and the 511 keV gamma annihilation. The radionuclide {sup 68}Ge/{sup 68}Ga has been standardized using the 4πβ(LS)-γcoincidence counting with digital sampling method.

Evaluation of single, coincidence and anticoincidence gamma-ray spectrometry methods has been carried out with the aim to search for double-electron capture in 74Se. This process is unique, because there is probability for transition to the 2+ excited state in 74Ge (1204 keV), and de-excitation through two gamma-quanta cascade with energies of 595.9 keV and 608.4 keV. Long-term measurements with anticosmic shielded HPGe spectrometer and the coincidence HPGe-NaI(Tl) spectrometer did not show any evidence for the double-electron capture in 74Se. The best limit for the half-life of the double electron capture in 74Se (both for the neutrinoless and two neutrino processes) was estimated to be >1.5x10E19 years.

Geodetic observations show several large, sudden increases in flow speed at Helheim Glacier, one of Greenland's largest outlet glaciers, during summer, 2007. These step-like accelerations, detected along the length of the glacier, coincide with teleseismically detected glacial earthquakes and major...... iceberg calving events. No coseismic offset in the position of the glacier surface is observed; instead, modest tsunamis associated with the glacial earthquakes implicate glacier calving in the seismogenic process. Our results link changes in glacier velocity directly to calving-front behavior...... at Greenland's largest outlet glaciers, on timescales as short as minutes to hours, and clarify the mechanism by which glacial earthquakes occur. Citation: Nettles, M., et al. (2008), Step-wise changes in glacier flow speed coincide with calving and glacial earthquakes at Helheim Glacier, Greenland....

Using two Ge detectors, the high-resolution Doppler-broadening energy spectra of positron annihilation gamma rays has been obtained by measuring the coincidences of the two photons. Light bleaching and oxygen effects on positron annihilation were investigated in this way. A large enhancement of the high-momentum part of the coincidence Doppler spectra was observed in poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), which contains oxygen atoms in the polymer structure. Bleaching experiments in PMMA and in copolymer ethylene-methylmethacrylate EMMA (LDPE+MMA 3 mol%) have demonstrated that the enhancement effect may be due to the trapping of positrons by the polar -C sup + 6-O sup - groups, followed by positron annihilation with the electrons belonging to oxygen.

201Tl is used in nuclear medicine in cardiac imaging for evaluating the injury level in cardiac muscle at rest and exercise. In this work the activity concentration of a 201 Tl radioactive solution has been absolutely determined using the 4πβ-γ coincidence and sum-peak coincidence methods. The presence of 202Tl radioactive impurity that imposes some difficult in the activity measurements was taken into account in the measurements. In the sum-peak method a planar germanium detector was used. The half-lives were evaluated by the reference source method and the results obtained were (3.033 ± 0.004) d and (12.320 ± 0.163) d, respectively, for 201Tl and 202Tl.

Mean lives of low-lying states of 28Si, 29Si and 30Si have been measured with the coincident high-velocity DSA method by 28Si bombardment of 2H, 3H and 4He targets. The recoils with an initial velocity of about 0.048c are slowed down in Mg, Cu, Ag and Au. The emitted γ-ray Doppler patterns are obser

A technique to determine the isotopic constituents of a mixed actinide sample has been proposed by a coincident alpha-conversion electron measurement. This presents a unique signature to allow the unfolding of isotopes that possess overlapping alpha particle energy and reduce backgrounds of an unseparated sample. The work presented here are results of conversion electron spectroscopy of 241Am, 238Pu and 239Pu using a dual-stage peltier-cooled 25 mm2 silicon drift detector and alpha spectroscopy with a passivated ion implanted planar silicon detector. The conversion electron spectra were evaluated from 20-55 keV based on fits to the dominant conversion electron emissions, which allowed the relative conversion electron emission intensities to be determined. These measurements provide crucial singles spectral information and calibration to aid in the coincident measurement approach. Furthermore, an alpha-conversion electron spectrometer was assembled using the silicon based detectors described and results of a coincident spectrum analysis is reported for 241Am.

Coincident timing or interception ability can be defined as the capacity to precisely time sensory input and motor output. This study compared accuracy of typically developing (TD) children and those with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) on a task involving estimation of coincident timing with their arm and various tool lengths. Forty-eight (48) participants performed two experiments where they imagined intercepting a target moving toward (Experiment 1) and target moving away (Experiment 2) from them in 5 conditions with their arm and tool lengths: arm, 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm. In Experiment 1, the DCD group overestimated interception points approximately twice as much as the TD group, and both groups overestimated consistently regardless of the tool used. Results for Experiment 2 revealed that those with DCD underestimated about three times as much as the TD group, with the exception of when no tool was used. Overall, these results indicate that children with DCD are less accurate with estimation of coincident-timing; which might in part explain their difficulties with common motor activities such as catching a ball or striking a baseball pitch.

There is a significant and well-known anisotropy between the prompt neutrons emitted from a single fission event; these neutrons are most likely to be observed at angles near 0° or 180° relative to each other. However, the propagation of this anisotropy through different generations of a fission chain reaction has not been previously studied. We have measured this anisotropy in neutron–neutron coincidences from a subcritical highly-multiplying assembly of plutonium metal. The assembly was a 4.5 kg α-phase plutonium metal sphere composed of 94% {sup 239}Pu and 6% {sup 240}Pu by mass. Data were collected using two EJ-309 liquid scintillators and two EJ-299 plastic scintillators. The angular distribution of neutron–neutron coincidences was measured at 90° and 180° and found to be largely isotropic. Simulations were performed using MCNPX-PoliMi of similar plutonium metal spheres of varying sizes and a correlation between the neutron multiplication of the assembly and the anisotropy of neutron–neutron coincidences was observed. In principle, this correlation could be used to assess the neutron multiplication of an unknown assembly.

There is a significant and well-known anisotropy between the prompt neutrons emitted from a single fission event; these neutrons are most likely to be observed at angles near 0° or 180° relative to each other. However, the propagation of this anisotropy through different generations of a fission chain reaction has not been previously studied. We have measured this anisotropy in neutron-neutron coincidences from a subcritical highly-multiplying assembly of plutonium metal. The assembly was a 4.5 kg α-phase plutonium metal sphere composed of 94% 239Pu and 6% 240Pu by mass. Data were collected using two EJ-309 liquid scintillators and two EJ-299 plastic scintillators. The angular distribution of neutron-neutron coincidences was measured at 90° and 180° and found to be largely isotropic. Simulations were performed using MCNPX-PoliMi of similar plutonium metal spheres of varying sizes and a correlation between the neutron multiplication of the assembly and the anisotropy of neutron-neutron coincidences was observed. In principle, this correlation could be used to assess the neutron multiplication of an unknown assembly.

GE-Reuter-Stokes (GERS) has developed a new line of neutron proportional counters, the B10Plus+* proportional counter. The detector design is intended to serve as a cost-effective alternative to traditional {sup 3}He proportional counters in a variety of applications. The detector is a hybrid design 10B-lined tube optimized with the addition of a small quantity of 3He gas to improve the detector performance and efficiency. As a demonstration of the B10Plus+* detector, GERS has constructed a Uranium Neutron Collar (UNCL) system consisting of B-10Plus+* proportional counters. GERS has designed and built a demonstration UNCL system intended to match the performance of a Type-I UNCL design in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) geometry operating in thermal mode. GERS offered their system on loan to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards Division of Technical and Scientific Services for an assessment of the detector technology and the demonstration system. We have characterized the demonstration UNCL system and compared its performance with a traditional Type-I UNCL design in regular use by the IAEA. This paper summarizes our findings and observations during the characterization and testing activity. (authors)

Despite more than three decades of progress, efficient nucleic acid extraction from microbial communities has remained difficult, particularly from clay environments. Lysis with concentrated guanidine followed by concentrated sodium phosphate extraction supported DNA and RNA recovery from high iron, low humus content clay. Alterating the extraction pH or using other ionic solutions (Na2SO4 and NH4H2PO4) yielded no detectable nucleic acid. DNA recovered using a lysis solution with 500 mM phosphate buffer (PB) followed by a 1 M PB wash was 15.22 2.33 g DNA/g clay, with most DNA consisting of >20 Kb fragments, compared to 2.46 0.25 g DNA/g clay with the Powerlyzer soil DNA system (MoBio). Increasing [PB] in the lysis reagent coincided with increasing DNA fragment length. Rarefaction plots based on16S rRNA (V1/V3 region) pyrosequencing libraries from A-horizon and clay soils showed an ~80% and ~400% larger accessed diversity compared to a previous grinding protocol or the Powerlyzer soil DNA system, respectively. The observed diversity from the Firmicutes showed the strongest increase with >3-fold more bacterial species recovered using this system. Additionally, some OTU s having more than 100 sequences in these libraries were absent in samples extracted using the PowerLyzer reagents or the previous lysis method.

PFAPA syndrome is a chronic disease classified in the group of autoinflammatory syndromes characterized by periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis in young children. The etiology of this disorder is still unknown, but a primary dysfunction of the innate immune system seems to be involved. According to Marshall criteria, it is not possible to diagnose PFAPA in the presence of autoimmune diseases. We present here the case report of an 8-month girl with PFAPA who developed autoimmune hepatitis type 2 at the age of 18 months. We suppose that the dysregulation in innate immunity that is typical of patients with PFAPA could trigger autoimmune disorders such as autoimmune hepatitis in susceptible subjects. The possible relationships between immune-system dysfunction peculiar to this syndrome and autoimmune hepatitis are discussed.

previous- ly explored. It has sampling rates on the same order scale as the much larger airborne ladar system, ALIRT, but operates at shorter ranges...order scale as ALIRT, but at shorter ranges to target, hundreds of meters instead of kilometers (Marino, 2003). To be able achieve this measurement...en no sensor translation and just roll-pitch rotational changes (due to mirror scanning, platform attitude ), the 3D transformation is equivalent to a

the gas cell). Use of a 1-μm aluminum layer on plastic scintillators has clearly demonstrated a reduced memory effect from radioxenon gases...Despite its sensitivity, the ARSA system needs very careful gain matching and calibration, which is not always easy to achieve. Memory effect and radon...in the gas cells even after evacuation of the gases, leading to a memory effect which increases the background level for subsequent measurements. The

Complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS) and Raynaud's disease are disorders characterized by vasomotor disturbances associating with abnormal autonomic nervous system. We present a case of CRPS involving a history of recurrence and no initiating event. Raynaud's disease accompanying CRPS was diagnosed clinically in the patient. We propose that a sympathetic dysfunction underlies the pathophysiologies of both disorders and may be responsible for the coexistence of these two distinct entities. Recurrence and unknown etiology of CRPS might account for temporary alterations in sympathetic function.

The properties of a neutral atom trap are nearly ideal for precise measurements of nuclear {beta}-decay correlation coefficients. Following a radioactive decay, all particles emerge from the trap volume unperturbed and are available for study. However, for measurements online at existing accelerators, sufficient statistics will be difficult to acquire if precision significantly better than 0.01 in the correlation coefficients is desired. We have investigated the feasibility of detecting shake-off electrons in coincidence with the recoiling ions to decrease the statistical uncertainty of some measurements by nearly an order of magnitude.

Geodetic observations show several large, sudden increases in flow speed at Helheim Glacier, one of Greenland's largest outlet glaciers, during summer, 2007. These step-like accelerations, detected along the length of the glacier, coincide with teleseismically detected glacial earthquakes and major iceberg calving events. No coseismic offset in the position of the glacier surface is observed; instead, modest tsunamis associated with the glacial earthquakes implicate glacier calving in the seismogenic process. Our results link changes in glacier velocity directly to calving-front behavior at Greenland's largest outlet glaciers, on timescales as short as minutes to hours, and clarify the mechanism by which glacial earthquakes occur.

Weinberg's seminal prediction of the cosmological constant relied on a provisional method for regulating eternal inflation which has since been put aside. We show that a modern regulator, the causal patch, improves agreement with observation, removes many limiting assumptions, and yields additional powerful results. Without assuming necessary conditions for observers such as galaxies or entropy production, the causal patch measure predicts the coincidence of vacuum energy and present matter density. Their common scale, and thus the enormous size of the visible Universe, originates in the number of metastable vacua in the landscape.

In the high accurate measurement of periodic signals, the greatest common factor frequency and its characteristics have special functions. A method of time difference measurement - the time difference method by dual 'phase coincidence points' detection is described. This method utilizes the characteristics of the greatest common factor frequency to measure time or phase difference between periodic signals. It can suit a very wide frequency range. Measurement precision and potential accuracy of several picoseconds were demonstrated with this new method. The instrument based on this method is very simple, and the demand for the common oscillator is low. This method and instrument can be used widely.

The paper treats the application of the 4π(PC)β-γ coincidence method for the standardization of the radionuclides (64)Cu and (68)Ga. The general coincidence equations are written. Two types of extrapolation were described and used in measurement: the positron-annihilation coincidence, and the counting of all emitted radiations; both methods are compared with respect to results, advantages and drawbacks. The impurities' content correction was applied. The standardized solutions were used to calibrate the ionization chamber CENTRONIC IG12/20A and to determine the gamma-rays emission intensities.

Full Text Available A total of 2,708 individuals from the European-derived population of Rio Grande do Sul, divided into seven mesoregions, and of 226 individuals of similar origin from Santa Catarina were studied. Seventeen protein genetic systems, as well as grandparents' nationalities, individuals' surnames, and interethnic admixture were investigated. The alleles which presented the highest and lowest differences were GLO1*2 (16% and PGD*A (2%, respectively, but in general no significant genetic differences were found among mesoregions. The values observed were generally those expected for individuals of European descent, with the largest difference being a lower prevalence (34-39% of P*1. Significant heterogeneity among mesoregions was observed for the other variables considered, and was consistent with historical records. The Amerindian contribution to the gene pool of European-derived subjects in Rio Grande do Sul was estimated to be as high as 11%. Based on the four data sets, the most general finding was a tendency for a northeast-southwest separation of the populations studied. Seven significant phenotype associations between systems were observed at the 5% level (three at the 0.1% level. Of the latter, the two most interesting (since they were also observed in other studies were MNSs/Duffy and Rh/ACP.

Full Text Available A total of 2,708 individuals from the European-derived population of Rio Grande do Sul, divided into seven mesoregions, and of 226 individuals of similar origin from Santa Catarina were studied. Seventeen protein genetic systems, as well as grandparents' nationalities, individuals' surnames, and interethnic admixture were investigated. The alleles which presented the highest and lowest differences were GLO1*2 (16% and PGD*A (2%, respectively, but in general no significant genetic differences were found among mesoregions. The values observed were generally those expected for individuals of European descent, with the largest difference being a lower prevalence (34-39% of P*1. Significant heterogeneity among mesoregions was observed for the other variables considered, and was consistent with historical records. The Amerindian contribution to the gene pool of European-derived subjects in Rio Grande do Sul was estimated to be as high as 11%. Based on the four data sets, the most general finding was a tendency for a northeast-southwest separation of the populations studied. Seven significant phenotype associations between systems were observed at the 5% level (three at the 0.1% level. Of the latter, the two most interesting (since they were also observed in other studies were MNSs/Duffy and Rh/ACP.

Photoelectron-photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectra of ozonide, O3(-), were measured at 388 nm (Ehν = 3.20 eV) using a newly constructed cryogenic octopole accumulation trap coupled to a PPC spectrometer. The photoelectron spectra reveal three processes consisting of a stable photodetachment channel, and two distinct photodissociation pathways yielding (1) O2 + O(-) or (2) O + O2(-). The first photodissociation pathway is observed in the PPC spectra by photodetachment of the O(-) product by a second photon, and produces electronically excited O2((1)Δg). The O2(-) product of the second photodissociation pathway undergoes autodetachment for O2(-)((2)Πg, v″ > 4), a process greatly enhanced by vibrational excitation of the precursor O3(-). Cooling anions thermalized at 300 K to cryogenic octopole accumulation trap essentially turns off this autodetachment pathway. The product kinetic energy distribution in coincidence with the autodetached electrons from O2(-)(v″ = 4) exhibits resolved features consistent with bend (ν2), asymmetric stretch (ν3) and a stretching combination band (ν1 + ν3) in the intermediate electronic state, illustrating the insights that can be gained from kinematically complete measurements. These results are discussed in the context of the low-lying excited states of O3(-).

Highlights: • Description of a merged-beam setup at SOLEIL synchrotron radiation facility. • Unique setup of this kind allowing photoelectron spectroscopy on ionic species. • Use of electron-ion coincidence to reduce the background. • Examples on the photoionization of Xe{sup 5+} multiply-charged ion. - Abstract: We describe the merged-beam setup permanently installed on a dedicated optical branch of the PLEIADES beamline at SOLEIL, the French synchrotron radiation facility in St-Aubin, delivering photons in the 10–1000 eV photon energy range. The setup is designed both for photoion and photoelectron spectroscopy experiments on atomic and molecular ions. Ion spectrometry is dedicated to the determination of absolute single and multiple photoionization cross sections. Electron spectroscopy brings additional information on the non-radiative decay of inner-vacancies produced in the photoionization processes and allows for the determination of partial cross sections. Efficient reduction of the background in the electron spectra is achieved by the use of the electron-ion coincidence technique. Examples of photoion and photoelectron spectra are given for the Xe{sup 5+} ion.

Dendritic spines receive most excitatory inputs in the vertebrate brain, but their function is still poorly understood. Using two-photon calcium imaging of CA1 pyramidal neurons in rat hippocampal slices, we investigated the mechanisms by which calcium enters into individual spines in the stratum radiatum. We find three different pathways for calcium influx: high-threshold voltage-sensitive calcium channels, NMDA receptors, and an APV-resistant influx consistent with calcium-permeable AMPA or kainate receptors. These pathways vary among different populations of spines and are engaged under different stimulation conditions, with peak calcium concentrations reaching >10 microM. Furthermore, as a result of the biophysical properties of the NMDA receptor, the calcium dynamics of spines are exquisitely sensitive to the temporal coincidence of the input and output of the neuron. Our results confirm that individual spines are chemical compartments that can perform coincidence detection. Finally, we demonstrate that functional studies and optical quantal analysis of single, identified synapses is feasible in mammalian CNS neurons in brain slices.

The localization of fast radio bursts (FRBs) has been hindered by the poor angular resolution of the detection observations and inconclusive identification of transient or variable counterparts. Recently a $\\gamma$-ray pulse of $380$ s duration has been associated with the fast radio burst FRB 131104. We report on radio-continuum imaging observations of the original localization region of the FRB, beginning three days after the event and comprising 25 epochs over 2.5 yr. Besides probabilistic arguments that suggest that the association between the $\\gamma$-ray transient and the FRB is not compelling, we provide upper limits on a putative radio afterglow of this transient that are at odds with standard models for its progenitor. We further report the discovery of an unusual variable radio source spatially and temporally coincident with FRB 131104, but not spatially coincident with the $\\gamma$-ray event. The radio variable flares by a factor of $3$ above its long term average within $10$ d of the FRB at 7.5 GH...

The localization of fast radio bursts (FRBs) has been hindered by the poor angular resolution of the detection observations and inconclusive identification of transient or variable counterparts. Recently a γ-ray pulse of 380 s duration has been associated with FRB 131104. We report on radio-continuum imaging observations of the original localization region of the FRB, beginning three days after the event and comprising 25 epochs over 2.5 years. We argue that the probability of an association between the FRB and the γ-ray transient has been overestimated. We provide upper limits on radio afterglow emission that would be predicted if the γ-ray transient was associated with an energetic γ-ray burst. We further report the discovery of an unusual variable radio source spatially and temporally coincident with FRB 131104, but not spatially coincident with the γ-ray event. The radio variable flares by a factor of 3 above its long-term average within 10 day of the FRB at 7.5 GHz, with a factor-of-2 increase at 5.5 GHz. Since the flare, the variable has persisted with only modest modulation and never approached the flux density observed in the days after the FRB. We identify an optical counterpart to the variable. Optical and infrared photometry, and deep optical spectroscopy, suggest that the object is a narrow-line radio active galactic nucleus.

We present a nuclear medical imaging technique, employing triple-γ trajectory intersections from β+-γ coincidences, able to reach sub-millimeter spatial resolution in 3 dimensions with a reduced requirement of reconstructed intersections per voxel compared to a conventional PET reconstruction analysis. This 'γ-PET' technique draws on specific β+-decaying isotopes, simultaneously emitting an additional photon. Exploiting the triple coincidence between the positron annihilation and the third photon, it is possible to separate the reconstructed 'true' events from background. In order to characterize this technique, Monte-Carlo simulations and image reconstructions have been performed. The achievable spatial resolution has been found to reach ca. 0.4 mm (FWHM) in each direction for the visualization of a 22Na point source. Only 40 intersections are sufficient for a reliable sub-millimeter image reconstruction of a point source embedded in a scattering volume of water inside a voxel volume of about 1 mm3 ('high-resolution mode'). Moreover, starting with an injected activity of 400 MBq for 76Br, the same number of only about 40 reconstructed intersections are needed in case of a larger voxel volume of 2 x 2 x 3 mm3 ('high-sensitivity mode'). Requiring such a low number of reconstructed events significantly reduces the required acquisition time for image reconstruction (in the above case to about 140 s) and thus may open up the perspective for a quasi real-time imaging.

We investigate the influence of the chemical potential mismatch Δ (different electron densities) on Coulomb drag between two parallel ballistic quantum wires. For pair collisions, the drag resistivity ρD(Δ ) shows a peculiar anomaly at Δ =0 with ρD being finite at Δ =0 and vanishing at any nonzero Δ . The "bodyless" resonance in ρD(Δ ) at zero Δ is only broadened by processes of multiparticle scattering. We analyze Coulomb drag for finite Δ in the presence of both two- and three-particle scattering within the kinetic equation framework, focusing on a Fokker-Planck picture of the interaction-induced diffusion in momentum space of the double-wire system. We describe the dependence of ρD on Δ for both weak and strong intrawire equilibration due to three-particle scattering.

at any age, numerous kisspeptin-positive neurons in the arcuate nucleus were detected in the adult rat. Increasing doses of kisspeptin-54 given peripherally to male rats at PND15, 30, 45, and 60 evoked roughly similar effects, as revealed by the induction of c-Fos in the pituitary and secretion of LH...... periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and the arcuate nucleus of male rats along pubertal development. Neurons expressing Kiss1 mRNA were first detected at PND15, but increased significantly around puberty, and declined again in the adult rat. While virtually no immunoreactive cell bodies were detectable in the AVPV...... and testosterone. These results show that both Kiss1 mRNA and the peptide increase in arcuate nucleus along pubertal maturation. Since kisspeptin signaling is potentially functional, even for peripheral activation, and well before the kisspeptin neuronal system is fully matured, our data support...

receptor is the primary component in the initiation of puberty and where in the hypothalamus regulation of the kisspeptin/Kiss1R system occurs is unresolved. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we analyzed the level of Kiss1 mRNA and kisspeptin-immunoreactivity in the anteroventral...... periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and the arcuate nucleus of male rats along pubertal development. Neurons expressing Kiss1 mRNA were first detected at PND15, but increased significantly around puberty, and declined again in the adult rat. While virtually no immunoreactive cell bodies were detectable in the AVPV...... that the regulation of kisspeptin synthesis and release are key events in puberty onset in the male rat....

In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared two "public health emergencies of international concern", in response to the worldwide polio situation and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa respectively. Both emergencies can be seen as testing moments, challenging the current model of epidemic governance, where two worldviews co-exist: global health security and humanitarian biomedicine. The resurgence of polio and the spread of Ebola in 2014 have not only exposed the weaknesses of national health systems, but also the shortcomings of the current global health regime in dealing with transnational epidemic threats. These shortcomings are of three sorts. Firstly, the global health regime is fragmented and dominated by the domestic security priorities of industrialised nations. Secondly, the WHO has been constrained by constitutional country allegiances, crippling reforms and the limited impact of the (2005) International Health Regulations (IHR) framework. Thirdly, the securitization of infectious diseases and the militarization of humanitarian aid undermine the establishment of credible public health surveillance networks and the capacity to control epidemic threats. The securitization of communicable diseases has so far led foreign aid policies to sideline health systems. It has also been the source of ongoing misperceptions over the aims of global health initiatives. With its strict allegiance to Member States, the WHO mandate is problematic, particularly when it comes to controlling epidemic diseases. In this context, humanitarian medical organizations are expected to palliate the absence of public health services in the most destitute areas, particularly in conflict zones. The militarization of humanitarian aid itself threatens this fragile and imperfect equilibrium. None of the reforms announced by the WHO in the wake of the 68(th) World Health Assembly address these fundamental issues.

There are remarkable similarities in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. The mechanisms that drive antigen induced sequelae of oxidative stress are discussed in this review. A poorly modulated inflammatory response drives both diseases resulting in oxidative stress induced tissue injury. Immune complex formation in response to the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis triggering the production of ROS in both gingivae and synovium of RA patients has been reported. Elevated antibody levels to several periodontal pathogens in RA patients has implications on both RA and periodontal diseases. Periodontal patients are challenged individuals representing a multifactorial aetiopathogenesis with potential for therapeutic intervention in the context of free radical damage. Subjects with moderate to severe periodontal bone loss are significantly more likely than healthy individuals to have several co-existing systemic conditions resulting in ROS mediated damage. There is potential for dual induction of periodontal disease by existing inflammatory mechanisms of systemic diseases rather than exacerbation of low grade inflammation only; emphasizing the relevance of reducing inflammatory burden for disease control. Therapeutic strategies based on disease mechanisms include combined low dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and doxycycline for synergistic reduction of matrix metalloproteinase activity in periodontal tissues and RA; sub-optimal dosing with CMT-8 and a biphosphonate clodronate to reduce pathologically elevated levels of MMPs, elastase and to restore alveolar bone in experimental periodontits demonstrating dual applications. Therapeutic interventions relevant to both diseases discussed in this review, have scope for a double hit in periodontal patients with co-existing RA and vice versa.

Full Text Available A century has elapsed since gravitational waves were predicted. Their recent detection by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration represents another feather in Einstein’s cap and at- tests to the technological ingenuity of experimentalists. However, the news has been portrayed as affirmation of the existence of black holes, objects whose defining charac- teristics are event horizons. Whilst a gravitational wave chirp is indicative of coalescing bodies and the inferred masses, 29 ± 4 M ⊙ and 36 ± 5 M ⊙ , rule out neutron stars, a promi- nent yet overlooked feature in the Hanford and Livingston spectrograms points to a curious mass ejection during the merger process. The spectral bifurcations, beyond which down-chirps are clearly discernible, suggest that a considerable quantity of mat- ter spiralled away from the binary system at the height of the merger. Since accretion disks cannot survive until the latter stages of coalescence , a black hole model seems un- tenable, and Einstein’s expectation that black holes can neither form nor ingest matter in a universe of finite age would appear to be upheld. By virtue of general relativity’s logi- cal consistency and the fact that gravity propagates at light speed, gravitational collapse must terminate with the formation of pathology-free temporally suspended objects.

Full Text Available Background. 47XYY syndrome is a rare sex chromosome variation characterized by an additional Y chromosome. Most patients with 47XYY karyotype have normal phenotype. This disorder seems associated with a higher risk of developing behavioral and cognitive problems, tall stature, and infertility in adulthood. Sexual development disorder is a rare finding. We report a first case with an abnormal left coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery in a 47XYY patient. Case. A one-month-old child was referred for ectopic testis and micropenis. Physical examination revealed facial dysmorphia, micropenis, and curvature of the penis with nonpalpable testis. Laboratory tests showed decreased total testosterone and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH levels. Blood karyotyping revealed a 47XYY chromosomal formula. At the age of 3 months, the patient developed dyspnea and tachycardia. Echocardiography revealed an anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery with left ventricular dysfunction requiring surgical revascularization by direct reimplantation of the left coronary artery system. Our second case was a 3-year-old child referred for hypospadias with nonpalpable left testicle. Physical examination showed hypertelorism. Blood karyotyping revealed a 47XYY chromosomal formula. Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first case of 47XYY syndrome associated with this congenital heart malformation and a sexual development disorder.